THE 

YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER 
ENCOURAGED. 


NIHIL  OBSTAT. 

St.  Louis,  November  5th,  1902. 

F.  G.  HOLWECK, 

CENSOR  THEOLOGICUS. 


IMPRIMATUR. 

St.  Louis,  November  6th,  1902, 

+  JOHN  J.  KAIN, 

ARCHBISHOP  OF  ST.    LOUIS. 


THE 

YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER 
ENCOURAGED : 

OR 

OBJECTIONS  TO  TEACHING 
ANSWERED. 


Act  like  a  man  and  take  courage  and  do;  fear  not  and  be 
not  discouraged;  for  the  Lord,  my  God,  will  be  with  thee. — 
/.  Paral.,  xxxiii,  20. 

What  greater  or  better  gift  can  we  offer  the  republic,  than  to  teach 
and  instruct  youth?— Cicero. 

The  blessings  of  a  cultivated  mind  are  akin  to  those  of  religion.- 
TJithop  Spalding. 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 

BY 

THE  RIGHT  REVEREND  JOHN  L.  SPALDING,  D.  D., 

BISHOP  OF  PEORIA,  ILLINOIS. 


ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  1903. 

PUBLISHED  BY  B.  HERDER, 

17  South  Broadway. 


Copyright  1903  by  Joseph  Gummersbach. 


-BECKTOLD  — 

PRINTING  AND  BOOK  MFG.  CO. 
ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 


* 


TO  THE 

YOUNG,  HEROIC,  RELIGIOUS  TEACHERS 
WHO  HAVE    RENOUNCED  WORLDLY  HONORS  AND  WEALTH,, 

SACRIFICED  HOME  AND  FRIENDS 

TO  DEVOTE  THEIR  LIVES  TO  THE  GREAT  CAUSE 

OF  CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION,  TO  PROMOTE 

GOD'S  HONOR  AND  GLORY 

AND  HIS  REIGN  IN  THE  VIRGINAL  HEARTS  OF  YOUTH, 

THIS  BOOK  IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 

BY  THE  EDITOR 

B.  C.  G. 


A  WORD  TO  THE  READER. 

A  work,  entitled  ''Motives  of  Encouragement  for 
young  Teachers :  or  Objections  to  teaching  answered," 
was  published  in  Paris,  in  1866.  It  was  from  the 
gifted  pen  of  Frere  Exuperien,  an  eminent  religious 
educator.  It  was  productive  of  much  good  and  passed 
through  several  editions. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  the  present  editor  was  en- 
couraged to  undertake  the  labor  of  presenting  an 
American  edition  of  this  excellent  little  book.  But  it 
was  found  necessary  to  make  alterations,  especially  in 
presenting  the  arguments  refuting  the  objections. 
These  are  altogether  new  and  greatly  enlarged,  re- 
taining only  from  the  original  French  such  matter  as 
could  advantageously  be  employed  to  supplement  the 
present  arrangement.  The  illustrations  following 
each  objection  were  retained,  save  an  introduction 
here  and  there  to  render  the  reading  more  fluent.  The 
poetical  quotations  at  the  head  of  each  objection  and 
throughout  the  work  as  well  as  the  citations  from  the 
ancient  classic  writers,  have  been  added  by  the  editor. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that,  with  these  emendations,  the 
little  volume  will  be  deemed  acceptable  to  young 
Teachers  who  need  consolation  and  encouragement  in 
their  ministry,  and  who  enter  upon  their  professional 
career  with  a  love  and  sympathy  for  the  children 
committed  to  their  charge. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


A  WORD  TO  THE  READER vii 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS ix 

PREFACE    xv 

INTRODUCTION    xxi 

FIRST  OBJECTION.     CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS 1 

i.     Chancellor  Gerson's  love  for  Children 7 

ii.    The  Teacher  should  not  be  discouraged 10 

SECOND  OBJECTION.    CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS, 

BUT  ALSO  DANGEROUS  VICES 13 

i.    A  bad  Beginning,  but  a  happy  Ending 19 

ii.    Advantages  accruing  to  the  Christian  Teacher. .  23 


THIRD  OBJECTION.    THE  TROUBLE  IN   CLASS   is   BEYOND 

ENDURANCE 28 

i.    The  Aspect  from  which  the  Difficulties  of  the  Re- 
ligious Teacher  should  be  considered 32 

ii.     Suffering  is  an  essential  Condition  to  do  Good. . .  37 

iii.     Commandant  Marceau 39 

iv.    The  true  Secret  of  Success  in  Teaching 44 

v.     Helpful  Thoughts  in  Trials 54 

vi.    Salutary   Counsels   or   Antidotes   to   Discourage- 
ment .  56 


X  CONTENTS. 

FOURTH  OBJECTION.     To  TEACH  CHILDBEN  WHO  DO  NOT 

PROFIT    BY     THE     CARE    BESTOWED 
UPON  THEM,  IS  DISCOURAGING  ...    58 

i.    A   courageous    and    persevering    Zeal    effects    a 
happy  transformation  of  the  Child's  defective 

Character    66 

ii.    A  celebrated  Saying  of  St.  Ignatius 71 

iii.    An  ardent  Zeal  should  characterize  the  Teacher's 

Ministry 72 

iv.    True  Consolation  for  the  Teacher 76 

v.    Jesus  Christ,  the  Model 78 

vi.    Persevering  Zeal  is  crowned  with  Success 81 

FIFTH  OBJECTION.     SUCCESS  is  IMPOSSIBLE,  OWING  TO  THE 

HARDSHIPS  OF  THE  CLASS 84 

i.    The  Christian  Teacher's  Distrust  is  offensive  to 

God  89 

ii.    Thoughts  helpful   to   inspire   Confidence   despite 

apparent  Difficulties   95 

iii.    The  Confidence  which  a  Christian  Teacher  should 

have  in  God 97 

iv.    The  Knowledge  of  our  Inability  must  not  dis- 

^  hearten  us . . . , 101 

v.    To  God  must  be  attributed  the  Glory  of  our  Suc- 
cess   102 

vi.    Do  the  best  according  to  our  Ability  and  leave 

Results  to  God. 106 

vii.    Confidence  in  God,  an  excellent  Means  to  obtain 

great  Favors 109 

SIXTH   OBJECTION.    LACK     OF     KNOWLEDGE     MILITATES 

AGAINST    SUCCESS 118 

i.    True  Wisdom  superior  to  mere  Knowledge 130 

ii.    Other  Opinions  pertaining  to  necessary  Knowl- 
edge   133 

iii.    Rodriguez  on  Conformity  to  God's  Will  in  the 

Distribution  of  natural  Gifts  and  Talents..   ..137 


CONTENTS.  Xi 

SEVENTH  OBJECTION.    LACK  OF  DUE  APPRECIATION  is  DIS- 

HEABTENING 145 

i.    St.  Francis  de  Sales,  an  Apostolic  Man 151 

ii.     Some  pregnant  Sentences ' 153 

iii.  Great  Worth  enhanced  by  profound  Humility. . .  .154 
iv.  Reasons  why  some  murmur  at  the  Lack  of  Appre- 
ciation     157 

v.    When  Grace  enlightens  the  Soul 159 

vi.     How  to  avoid  Self-seeking .  .160 

vii.  Sacrifice,  in  good  faith,  to  God  all  selfish  Interests.  162 

viii.     Seek  neither  personal  Comfort  nor  Ease 164 


EIGHTH  OBJECTION.     FREQUENT  CHANGES  ABE  ANNOYING: 

A  POSITION  OTHER  THAN  TEACH- 
ING WOULD  BE  MORE  SUITABLE  ..  .166 

i.     St.  Ignatius'  Dictum  concerning  Prudence 175 

ii.    The  Action  of  Superiors  must  not  be  obstructed..  176 
iii.    How  to  attain  perfect  Indifference  as  to  employ- 
ment   179 

iv.    Beautiful  Example  of  Indifference  as  to  Employ- 
ment   181 

v.     Secret  of  preserving  Tranquillity  amid  Difficul- 
ties     182 

vi.    The  holiest  Projects  must  be  sacrificed  If  Obe- 
dience commands  184 

vii.    Obedience,  the  proper  Motive 186 


NINTH  OBJECTION.     THE    TEACHER'S    LABORS    ARE    NOT 

HIGHLY   APPRECIATED 190 

i.  An  Illustration  of  Abnegation  and  Obedience. ..  .196 

ii.    Divine  Wisdom  and  human  Wisdom 198 

iii.     Humble  Disposition  of  Father  Huby,  S.  J 200 

iv.  A  Christian  Teacher  should  sacrifice  his  Honor.  .201 

v.    Cure  d'Ars  on  Self-denial  and  Suffering 202 

vi.  When   laboring  for   God,  we   are   content  with 

everything 204 


xii  CONTENTS. 

TENTH  OBJECTION.     BETTER  WORK  is  ACHIEVED  IN  A  MORE 

ADVANCED  CLASS 209 

i.    Love  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales  for  Children 215 

ii.    The  Superior's  Command  is  God's  Will 217 

iii.     Motives  for  esteeming  the  primary  Grades 220 

iv.     The   famous   Lhomond's   Love   for  the   primary 

Grades   223 

ELEVENTH  OBJECTION.     THE  PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OF  THE 

POORER  CLASSES 225 

i.    The  Soul  only  of  those  entrusted  to  our  care  con- 
sidered   230 

ii.     Poor  Peter  teaching  the  Poor  and  Sick 233 

iii.    A  pure   Resignation,   for  obtaining  Freedom   of 

Heart   235 

TWELFTH  OBJECTION.     THE  PUPILS  ARE  TOO  FEW  TO  AC- 
COMPLISH MUCH  GOOD 238 

True  Zeal  is  not  disconcerted 243 

THIRTEENTH  OBJECTION.     CHILDREN  AND  PARENTS  ARE 

UNGRATEFUL  . 246 

i.    The  Ingratitude  of  Children  should  hot  preclude 

the  Teacher's  Love  for  them 250 

ii.    True  Love  for  Children  commands  their  Grati- 
tude     252 

iii.     The  Love  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales  for  his  Teacher. 254 

FOURTEENTH  OBJECTION.     TEACHING    ENDANGERS     THE 

HEALTH  257 

i.     St.  Ignatius'  spiritual  view  concerning  Health. .  .263 
ii.     The  heroic  St.  Louis  Bertrand 266 

FIFTEENTH   OBJECTION.     THE  TEACHER  is   EXPOSED  TO 

CALUMNY,   PERSECUTION,  OR 

DISAGREEMENTS .271 

i.    The  noble  Example  of  St.  Paul  and  St.  Ignatius 

of  Antioch  . .  . .  277 


CONTENTS.  Xlll 

FIFTEENTH  OBJECTION— Continued. 

ii.    The  truly  zealous  Teacher  loses  not  his  Peace  of 

Mind  on  account  of  Calumny 279 

iii.    How  St.  J. — B.  de  la  Salle  endured  Injuries  and 

Contempt 282 

SIXTEENTH  OBJECTION.  THE  TEACHING  OF  CHILDREN  is 

DISTASTEFUL 286 

Thoughts  of  Father  Judde 293 

SEVENTEENTH  OBJECTION.     To  LIVE  WITH  FELLOW-RE- 
LIGIOUS IS  TOO  ANNOYING  .300 

i.     Providential  Reasons  for  Differences  of  Views. . .  306 
ii.     Counsels  of  Father  Judde 309 

EIGHTEENTH  OBJECTION.     TEACHING  is  THE   CAUSE  OF 

MANY     DISTRACTIONS     AND 

NUMEROUS  FAULTS 314 

1.     St.  Augustine  and  St.  Ignatius  on  the  Dangers 

incurred  in  the  Service  of  our  Neighbor 320 

ii.    Education  confers  a  mutual  Benefit 322 

NINETEENTH  OBJECTION.     TEACHING    CEASES    TO    GIVE 

PLEASURE 325 

Thoughts  calculated  to  inspire  Zeal 333 

TWENTIETH  OBJECTION.  THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVA- 
TION DOES  NOT  AFTER  ALL  RE- 
QUIRE so  MUCH  LABOR 337 

BISHOP  SPALDING'S  APHORISMS  AND  REFLECTIONS 

PERTINENT  TO  TRUE  CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION 345 

INDEX   .  ..355 


PREFACE. 

"There  is  a  deep  truth  in  the  idea  of  Socrates 
that  we  can  teach  only  those  who  love  us.  Is  not  this 
implied  in  the  command  of  the  Saviour  that  His 
disciples  love  Him  and  one  another  ?  If  minds  are  to 
be  fertilized,  they  must  receive  the  seed  of  truth  from 
sympathetic  minds.  We  can  improve  only  those  whose 
confidence  and  good- will  we  have  gained;  and  a 
radical  defect  in  teachers  is  the  lack  of  sweetness  and 
mildness,  of  the  gentle  and  persuasive  force  which 
goes  forth  from  an  open  mind  and  kindly  heart."  (1) 

Education  is  the  most  difficult  of  arts  and  as  long 
as  men,  observes  the  learned  Bishop  Spalding,  imagine 
that  a  little  knowledge,  a  little  skill,  is  all  that  is 
required  to  make  a  teacher,  so  long  shall  our  schools 
fail  to  contribute  in  any  real  way  to  our  progress. 

Hence,  the  purport  of  this  little  volume  is  to  guide 
and  console  the  young  Christian  teacher  who  may  be 
tempted  to  succumb  to  the  difficulties  which  he  must 
needs  overcome  in  the  performance  of  his  arduous 
functions.  Moreover,  he  may  be  prone  to  lose  his  zeal 
and  devotedness,  and,  perhaps,  may  be  exposed  to 
the  danger  of  abandoning  his  sublime  calling,  after 
having  generously  put  his  hand  to  the  plow.  Now, 
this  unhappy  frame  of  mind  is  brought  about  by  a 


( 1)  Bishop  Spaldiny,  Aphorisms  and  Reflections,  p.  53. 


xvi    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

•weakening  of  the  spirit  of  faith  and  by  the  false  light 
in  which  he  looks  upon  the  trials  and  hardships  of  his 
profession. 

Consequently,  when  a  religious  teacher  is  dis- 
couraged and  even  entertains  the  thought  of  giving 
up  his  ministry,  because,  forsooth,  children  are  full 
of  defects,  or  because  his  profession  is  hard  and  diffi- 
cult, or  because  his  health  is  thereby  endangered,  or 
because  his  labors  are  not  seemingly  appreciated,  he 
gives  undeniable  evidence  of  woeful  ignorance  of  the 
fundamental  principles  governing,  not  only  the  re- 
ligious, but  even  the  ordinary  Christian  life. 

Now,  the  principal  causes  of  the  loss  of  vocation 
can  always  be  attributed,  either  to  a  neglect  of  prayer, 
or  a  lack  of  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 

For,  it  is  in  fervent,  earnest  prayer  that  a  Chris- 
tian teacher  can  attain  to  the  full  comprehension  of 
the  greatness  of  his  ministry.  It  is  from  prayer  that 
he  draws  the  requisite  strength  for  the  fulfilment  of 
his  duties.  These  are  not  infrequently  very  painful 
and  trying  to  frail  human  nature. 

"All  religious  teachers  who  become  disgusted  with 
their  holy  state,"  affirms  Father  Judde,  "or  who 
seem  ready  to  abandon  it,  have  all,  without  exception, 
begun  by  neglecting  prayer.  Nay  more,  we  dare  even 
defy  any  one  to  point  out  the  single  exception  of  a 
religious  who  is  faithful  to  his  spiritual'  exercises, 
and  who,  at  the  same  time,  remains  discontented  in 
his  holy  state." 

Therefore,  any  religious  teacher  who  sincerely  de- 
sires to  persevere  in  his  ministry  and  to  comply  with 
the  salutary  counsel  of  that  experienced  and  skilful 


PREFACE.  XV11 

teacher,  St.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle,  "Should  hold  the 
exercise  of  mental  prayer  in  great  esteem,  for  it  is  the 
foundation  and  support  of  all  virtues,  besides  being 
the  source  of  all  the  graces  we  need  both  for  our  own 
sanctification  and  for  that  of  our  neighbor."  (1) 

The  second  cause  assigned  for  the  loss  of  vocation 
is  a  lack  of  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 
Indeed,  experience  has  fully  proved  that  many  re- 
ligious teachers  who,  at  the  beginning  of  their  holy 
ministry,  enter  into  the  full  spirit  of  their  calling  with 
a  magnanimous,  generous  heart,  gradually  relax  their 
zeal  and  grow  weary  of  their  labors.  They  seem  to 
regret  the  noble  sacrifices  they  have  made.  The  high 
ideals  and  aspirations  of  faith  vanish.  Disinterested 
love  is  replaced  by  selfish  interests,  and  the  spirit  of 
faith  is  diminished  in  proportion  as  the  worldly  spirit 
gains  the  ascendancy.  This  coldness  and  indifference 
to  the  duties  and  spirit  of  religion  may  be  ascribed 
to  the  fact  that  the  Life  of  Christ  and  its  noble  lessons 
are  wholly  forgotten.  Instead  of  studying  this  in- 
comparable Model,  they  substitute  worldly  teachers 
who  have  become  the  idol  of  the  hour  and  the  glory  of 
admiring  devotees.  Thus,  the  attachment  to  Christ, 
the  Teacher  of  teachers,  grows  less  and  less  ardent  and 
affectionate,  and,  in  consequence,  teachers  neglect  to 
practise  His  virtues,  to  emulate  His  example,  and  to 
follow  His  ennobling,  sublime  principles.  Moreover, 
they  rarely  meditate  on  the  mysteries  of  the  Life  of 
Christ,  His  greatness,  and  benefits,  or  on  the  infinite 
obligations  they  owe  Him.  Consequently,  they  do  not 
strive  to  labor  in  unison  with  Him,  nor  with  that 

(1)  Thoughts  of  St.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle. 


XV111  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

sincere,  generous  love,  nor  with  that  perfect  con- 
formity of  mind  and  heart  which  characterizes  the 
true  religious,  the  truly  apostolic  man. 

Besides,  the  Christian  teacher  should  ever  bear  in 
mind  that  "the  end  of  education,  and  of  religion,  is 
the  formation  of  a  moral  personality,  by  the  union  of 
faith  and  reason,  with  an  awakened  conscience  and 
a  steadfast  will." 

For  "nature  suffers  compulsion  only  when  we 
have  learned  her  secret ;  and  this  applies,  with  special 
force,  to  human  nature.  We  can  compel  the  young  to 
the  self-activity  without  which  there  is  no  self-im- 
provement, not  only  by  threats  and  violence,  but  by 
bringing  to  bear  on  them  the  charm  of  influence  which 
they  can  not  fully  understand,  but  to  which  they  ir- 
resistibly yield:  and  only  those  who  possess  and  use 
this  secret  are  educators."  (!) 

Hence,  in  answering  the  principal  objections  which 
are  offered  against  teaching,  we  have  endeavored  to 
adduce  sound  principles  and  solid  doctrines.  We 
have  grouped  together,  therefore,  a  number  of  posi- 
tive opinions  and  striking  traits.  Moreover,  we  have 
supported  our  refutations  by  appropriate  passages 
from  Scripture,  from  the  masters  of  the  spiritual  life, 
and  from  profound  thinkers.  These  citations  are 
calculated  to  make  a  deep  impression  upon  the  docile 
mind  of  every  true  Christian  educator. 

We  offer  this  little  volume,  therefore,  to  the  young 
Christian  teacher,  hoping  that  it  may  aid  him  and 
present  to  his  consideration  many  motives  for  conso- 
lation and  encouragement. 

(1)  Aphorisms  and  Reflections,  p.  217. 


PREFACE.  XIX 

May  God  deign  to  Bless  our  labors  and  give  them 
power  to  enlighten  and  strengthen  the  zeal  and  faith 
of  the  young  teachers  into  whose  hands  this  book  may 
chance  to  fall.  May  it  sustain  their  courage  in  the 
midst  of  the  varying  difficulties  and  perplexing  an- 
noyances they  shall  have  to  encounter  and  endure  in 
pursuance  of  their  onerous  ministry. 

Should  this  volume  prove  the  means  of  helping 
even  one  soul  who  may  sorely  be  tried  by  discourage- 
ment, and  should  he  find  therein  the  means  of  sancti- 
fying his  sufferings  or  strengthening  his  vocation-, 
then,  indeed,  shall  we  be  amply  rewarded  for  the 
sweet  labor  we  have  accomplished. 

FEAST  OF  ST.  JOHN-BAPTIST  DE  LA  SALLE, 
May  15,  1902. 
Memphis,  Tennessee. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  volume  which  is  herewith  offered  to  the  Cath- 
olic teachers  of  America  can  not  fail  to  attract  their 
serious  attention.  It  is  all  alive  with  the  spirit  of 
religious  faith,  zeal  and  devotion.  There  breathes 
through  its  pages  a  serene  confidence  in  the  ab- 
solute  worth  of  the  work  which  our  schools  are 
doing.  It  is  more  than  an  encouragement— it  is  an 
inspiration.  The  author  makes  us  understand  and 
feel  that  the  religious  teacher's  vocation  is  a  divine 
calling — a  permanent  opportunity  to  co-operate  with 
Christ  for  the  enlightenment,  the  purification  and  the 
salvation  of  the  world.  His  appeal  is  to  the  highest 
in  man,  to  the  soul  which  lives  not  on  bread  alone, 
but  on  every  word  that  proceedeth  from  the  mouth 
of  God.  The  book  is  full  of  cheer,  courage  and  hope. 
It  is  not  a  pedagogical  treatise,  a  collection  of  rules, 
formulas  and  precepts.  It  is  the  utterance  of  piety, 
fervor  and  love.  It  is  replete  with  the  spirit  and  the 
wisdom  of  the  Divine  Master,  and  of  those  who  have 
known  Him  best  and  followed  most  closely  in  His 
footsteps.  It  is  unlike  any  other  book  in  English. 
It  is  something  of  which  thousands  of  our  Catholic 
teachers  have  felt  the  need.  It  will  become  for  them 
a  vade  mecum,  a  manual  to  which  they  may  turn 
again  and  again  for  light  and  strength.  Religious 
education  is  our  most  distinctive  work.  It  gives 
us  a  place  apart  in  the  life  of  the  country.  It  is 


XXii  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

indispensable  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the 
church  in  the  United  States,  and  will  be  recognized 
in  the  end  as  the  most  vital  contribution  to  American 
civilization.  Fortunate  are  they,  who  by  words  or 
deeds  confirm  our  faith  in  the  need  of  Catholic 
schools;  and  yet  more  fortunate  are  they  who, 
while  they  inspire  our  teachers  with  new  courage 
and  zeal,  awaken  in  the  young,  to  whom  God  has 
given  a  heart  and  a  mind,  an  efficacious  desire  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  little  ones  whom  Christ  loves. 
What  better  work,  in  the  present  time,  can  any  of  us 
do  than  to  foster  vocations  to  our  Brotherhoods  and 
Sisterhoods  whose  special  mission  is  teaching?  This 
volume  will  not  only  bring  consolation  and  joy  to  the 
hearts  of  Catholic  teachers;  it  will  also  draw  many 
pure  and  loving  souls  to  their  ranks.  That  it  will 
find  readers  there  can  be  no  doubt,  for  whoever  takes 
it  in  hand  will  become  its  advocate  and  eulogist. 

J.  L.  SPALDING, 

Bishop  of  Peoria. 
Peoria,  Sept.  16,  1902. 


FIRST  OBJECTION. 

CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS. 

Man   still   has  faults   and  men  will  have  them  still, 
He  that  hath  none,  and  lives  as  angels  do, 
Must  be  an  angel. — Wentworth  Dillon. 

"The  greatest  evil  of  man,"  observed  Plato,  "is 
a  defect  that  is  born  with  him,  which  every  one  ex- 
cuses in  himself,  and,  consequently,  of  which  no  one 
ever  labors  to  rid  himself,  namely,  self-love."  This 
defect  is  not  the  only  one  to  which  human  nature  is 
heir.  For  the  imagination  and  thoughts  of  man's 
heart  are  prone  to  evil  from  his  youth.  (*)  The  evil 
germs,  then,  are  within,  and  wait  but  time  and  age  to 
develop.  "It  is  with  these  evil  germs,"  remarks 
Dupanloup,  (2)  "and  sometimes  the  most  vicious  in- 
clinations, aye,  it  is  with  the  deep-seated  defects  of 
this  nature,  that  the  struggle  must  be  carried  on." 
The  existence  of  these  evil  germs  is  a  universal  law 
of  our  tainted  nature.  St.  Paul  expresses  this  truth 
clearly  and  forcibly,  thus:  /  find  then  a  law,  that 
when  I  have  a  will  to  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me. 
For  I  am  delighted  with  the  law  of  God,  according  to 
the  inward  man.  But  I  see  another  law  in  my  mem- 
bers, fighting  against  the  law  of  my  mind,  and  capti- 
vating me  in  the  law  of  sin,  that  is  in  my  members.  (s> 

(1)  den.,  viii,  21.     (2)  The  Child,  chap.  vi. 
(3)  Rom.,  vii,  21-23. 


2          THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

St.  John,  the  Evangelist,  traces  all  our  defects  and 
vices  to  three  sources,  namely,  pride,  sensuality,  and 
cupidity.  In  these  three  pregnant  words,  he  sums  up 
all  the  evils  of  the  human  heart. 

It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  all  flesh  is  tainted, 
and  hence  every  child  is  born  with  the  germs  of  pas- 
sions, vices,  and  defects.  The  Christian  teacher  should 
realize  this  truth  that  innocent  child-nature  is  no  ex- 
ception to  this  general  law.  Again,  he  should  ever 
keep  in  mind  that  children  are  differently  constituted, 
every  one  having  his  own  temperament  and  disposi- 
tion. These  are  a  powerful  factor  in  the  development 
of  passions  and  vices,  and  demand  a  careful  study. 
The  more  the  Christian  teacher  studies  human  nature, 
its  tendencies  and  inclinations,  the  better  qualified  is 
he  to  do  effective  work.  He  will  then  know  what  rem- 
edies to  apply  in  special  cases  to  curb  the  passions  and 
bring  them  under  the  control  of  right  reason.  The 
study  of  dispositions,  temperament,  and  character  is 
not  speculative.  The  true  educator  seeks  the  means 
by  which  he  may  aid  a  child-nature  to  develop  its  good 
inclinations  and  to  combat  the  bad. 

To  presume  child-nature  free  from  passions  and 
their  consequent  effects,  is  to  suppose  it  other  than 
human.  Passions  are  a  part  of  our  inheritance.  Now, 
passions  are  nothing  more  than  the  movements  of  the 
sensitive  appetites.  In  themselves,  they  are  neither 
morally  good  nor  morally  evil.  Indeed,  etymologically 
considered,  the  term  passion  is  opposed  to  action,  and 
implies  a  state  in  which  the  subject  is  merely  passive. 
But  when  the  instincts,  the  inclinations,  tend  actively 
to  be  gratified,  they  are  called  voluntary  passions. 


CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS.  3 

These  movements  of  the  sensitive  appetite,  then,  are 
caused  by  the  idea  of  good  or  of  evil.  Hence,  to  direct 
properly  or  to  control  these  movements  of  our  iras- 
cible nature,  constitutes  one  of  the  essential  func- 
tions of  the  Christian  educator.  The  child,  indeed, 
feels  these  movements,  but  he  is  still  ignorant  of  their 
power  for  good  or  evil.  The  teacher's  experience, 
aided  by  acquired  knowledge,  should  prove  a  powerful 
lever  in  his  hands  in  directing  the  budding  passions 
of  child-nature. 

His  work  in  guiding  the  awakening  passions  of 
the  child  into  the  right  channel  will  be  lightened,  if 
he  take  the  attitude  of  the  parent  toward  the  child. 
' '  Children,  however  ugly,  are  beautiful  in  the  eyes  of 
their  mothers, ' '  says  St.  Ambrose ;  ' '  they  prefer  their 
appearance  to  that  of  handsome  children,  and  they 
would  not  change  them  if  they  could,  being  blind  to 
defects  which  are  apparent  to  any  observer.'*  How 
wonderful  the  effect  of  love!  Now,  the  Christian 
teacher  who  enters  upon  his  arduous  duties  with  a 
heart  full  of  love  and  compassion,  will  soon  bring 
about  a  complete  change  in  the  children  entrusted  to 
his  care.  For  a  strong,  manly  love  attracts,  conquers, 
educates,  and  transforms.  Parents  are  not  blind  to 
the  moral  defects  of  their  children,  but  love  actuates 
and  influences  all  their  actions  concerning  the  child. 
Hence,  the  Christian  teacher,  actuated  by  an  enlight- 
ened zeal  and  a  supernatural  love,  imitates  the  parents 
and  wins  the  affection  of  the  children.  Love,  however, 
does  not  blind  the  true  educator  to  the  taints  in  child- 
nature.  For  he  is  aware,  as  St.  Augustine  clearly 
points  out,  that  the  germs  of  a  thousand  vices  are  im- 


4          THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

planted  in  child-nature,  and  seek,  under  favorable  con- 
ditions, to  grow  and  flourish  therein. 

To  offset  these  perverse  inclinations  of  the  child, 
the  Christian  educator  should  ever  remember  that  the 
nature  of  a  child  is  quite  a  little  world  in  itself,  an 
abyss  which  can  never  be  sufficiently  explored  and  en- 
lightened. Now,  "if  the  educator  has  not  sounded 
this  abyss,  if  he  has  not  fathomed  the  heart  in  every 
possible  way,  he  is  unsuited  to  the  great  work  of  edu- 
cation. It  is  not  on  the  surface,  but  in  the  interior  of 
the  soul,  that  this  work  is  to  be  done."  For  "the 
heart  of  the  child, ' '  said  an  eminent  educator,  ' '  is  the 
book  which  must  be  pondered  on  and  searched  into 
continually.  It  is  a  never-ending  study.  There  will 
always  be  something  to  discover  in  it,  and  the  teacher 
will  be  competent  for  his  work  only  in  proportion  as 
he  becomes  clever  in  reading  this  living  book  and 
fathoming  all  its  secrets."  The  tendency  to  evil 
slumbering  in  every  heart  may  be  roused  at  any  mo- 
ment. 

But  the  defects  of  child-nature  should  not  dis- 
courage the  true  educator.  They  ought,  on  the  con- 
trary, to  inspire  him  with  a  tender,  growing  compas- 
sion for  those  who  are  still  too  young  to  comprehend 
either  their  misery  or  the  necessity  of  struggling 
against  their  vices,  defects,  and  evil  inclinations.  The 
sight  of  youthful  depravity,  however  alarming,  should 
tend  to  excite  the  Christian  teacher's  soul  to  greater 
zeal  and  animate  his  heart  with  a  sincere  desire  to  win 
these  poor  children,  and  thus  save  them  from  them- 
selves. Youth  is  truly  the  proper  time  for  the  cor- 


CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS.  5 

rection  of  faults  and  for  the  guidance  of  natural  ten- 
dencies. 

"Christian  education,"  remarks  Dupanloup,  "is 
singularly  powerful,  and  frequently  works  miracles. 
It  is  the  glory,  nay,  the  triumph,  of  education  to 
struggle  with  an  obstinate  nature,  to  conquer,  correct, 
transform,  and  refine  it.  But  the  chief  point  in  this 
work  is  to  begin  in  good  time,  otherwise  it  may  be 
shorn  of  its  efficacy  or  even  become  entirely  un- 
productive. In  childhood  and  youth  the  faults  have 
not  yet  struck  deep  roots,  nor  acquired  rapid  growth. 
All  is  still  tender  and  weak.  Later  on,  habit  will  be 
formed,  and  habit  soon  becomes  second  nature,  to  re- 
sist which,  is,  indeed,  well  nigh  impossible." 

Moreover,  experience  teaches  that  passion  corrupts 
the  will.  For  every  passion,  according  to  Plato,  is  a 
nail  to  fasten  the  will  to  the  body.  Thus,  the  great 
duty  of  the  Christian  teacher,  his  noblest  and  most 
arduous  function,  should  be  centered  in  educating  the 
child's  will.  For  unless  children  are  taught  how  to 
govern  themselves  and  to  overcome  habit  by  habit,  the 
passions  will  sway  the  mind,  weaken  the  will,  and 
plunge  the  soul  into  the  greatest  disorder.  Even 
Aristotle  taught  that  the  rational  soul  ought  to  strive 
to  yield  as  little  as  possible  to  the  sensitive  appetites 
of  our  inferior  and  animal  nature.  He  considered 
this  the  greatest  and  noblest  object  of  his  labors.  To 
vanquish  self,  observes  Plato,  is  the  greatest  and  most 
glorious  of  all  victories.  Many  men,  writes  the  moral- 
ist, Seneca,  have  commanded  cities  and  peoples,  but 
few  have  commanded  themselves  by  becoming  masters 
of  their  passions.  Solomon  tells  us  that  the  patient 


0         THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

man  is  greater  than  the  strong  man,  and  he  who  rules 
his  soul,  greater  than  he  who  takes  cities.  But  to  gain 
this  glorious  victory  by  regulating  our  passions,  St. 
Gregory  of  Nyssa  teaches  that  anger  and  hatred  must 
be  as  a  dog  to  defend  us  against  our  enemies ;  boldness, 
the  dart  by  which  to  attack  them;  hope,  the  staff  on 
which  to  lean,  and  reason  the  arbiter  of  all. 

Undoubtedly,  the  education  of  youth  would  be  one 
of  the  most  delightful  of  duties,  if  children  were  all 
that  they  should  be.  How  pleasant  to  find  them  ever 
docile,  innocent,  and  studious !  How  consoling  if  they 
were  always  to  profit  by  the  care  lavished  upon  them ! 
How  charming,  if  the  Christian  teacher  were  assured 
that  they  would  continue  to  walk  unswervingly  in  the 
path  of  virtue  which  he  had  so  painstakingly  pointed 
out  to  them !  But,  alas !  how  different  the  case  when 
the  educator  has  to  deal  with  children  who  seemingly 
despise,  reject,  ignore,  perhaps  even  contemn,  the 
great  sacrifices  he  makes  in  their  behalf!  Ah,  then 
indeed,  the  charm  of  teaching  ceases,  and  the  teacher 
is  naturally  inclined  to  become  discouraged  and  to 
lose  interest  in  his  ministry,  aye,  even  to  be  tempted 
to  abandon  it. 

But  reflect  well,  Christian  teacher,  on  these  words 
of  Thomas  a  Kempis:  "All  self-seekers  and  self- 
lovers  are  bound  in  fetters,  full  of  desires,  full  of 
cares,  unsettled,  and  seeking  always  their  own  ease, 
and  not  the  things  of  Jesus  Christ;  but  oftentimes 
devising  and  framing  that  which  shall  not  stand. 

"Take  this  short  and  perfect  word:  Forsake  all, 
and  thou  slialt  find  all;  leave  thy  desires,  and  thou 
shalt  find  rest."  (V 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  Hi.,  Chapter  xxxii,  i. 


CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS.  7 

"If  we  strove  like  valiant  men  to  stand  in  battle, 
doubtless  we  should  see  that  our  Lord  would  help  U3 
from  heaven. 

' '  For  He  is  ready  to  help  them  that  fight,  and  trust 
in  His  grace ;  who  furnishes  us  with  occasions  of  fight- 
ing that  we  may  overcome."  (1) 


I. 

CHANCELLOR  GERSON's  TENDER  LOVE  FOR  CHILDREN. 

All  those  who  allow  the  faults  of  pupils  to  give 
them  a  disgust  for  the  sublime  vocation  of  educating 
youth,  should  listen  to  the  reproach  of  Gerson  and 
endeavor  to  understand  their  error : 

"If  an  ox  or  an  ass  had  fallen  into  a  pit,  would 
we  not  hasten  to  pull  it  out  ?  And,  can  it  be  possible 
that  we  will  refuse  a  helping  hand  to  children  whom 
we  see  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice!  A  house  takes 
fire  and  threatens  to  communicate  the  flames  to  a 
whole  town.  A  brave  man  climbs  on  the  roof  despite 
excessive  heat  and  personal  danger.  From  the  van- 
tage ground,  gained  with  such  difficulty,  he  directs  a 
stream  of  water  on  the  burning  timbers  and  succeeds 
in  arresting  the  progress  of  the  conflagration.  His 
self-imposed  task  accomplished,  the  cheers  of  the  spec- 
tators rend  the  air,  and  he  is  proclaimed  a  hero,  the 
savior  of  the  city.  Yet  what  has  he  done  to  merit  such 
honor  ?  He  has  succeeded  in  preserving  a  few  houses 
built  of  stone  and  wood  from  being  devoured  by 

(1)  Ibid.,  Book  I.,  Chapter  xi.  J,. 


8         THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

flames.  And  children's  souls,  are  they  not  of  greater 
value  than  piles  of  stone  and  wood?  Are  they  not 
the  temples  of  the  living  God,  the  sanctuaries  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  the  City  of  God?  Shall  we  stand 
idly  by  and  see  them  become  a  prey  to  the  fire  of  their 
passions  and  the  eternal  flames  of  hell  ?  The  demons 
are  exerting  all  their  terrible  powers  to  drag  them 
down  to  the  bottomless  abyss,  and  shall  we  stand  by 
and  make  no  effort  to  save  them?  Shall  we  say  to 
ourselves :  The  trouble  is  too  great  and  they  are  not 
worth  it! 

"This  was  not  our  Lord's  way  of  thinking!  On 
the  contrary,  He  teaches  us  that  we  should  love  chil- 
dren notwithstanding  their  defects  and  with  an  ardor 
comparable  to  their  perverse  inclinations  to  evil.  Does 
He  not  tell  us  that  we  should  care  for  the  children  as 
the  hen  cares  for  her  chickens  ?  Just  look  at  her  solic- 
itude in  watching  over  them!  She  is  always  on  the 
move,  calling  them  and  keeping  them  in  sight!  Ob- 
serve the  tenderness  with  which  she  gathers  them 
under  her  wings  when  the  hawk  appears  in  sight. 
Should  she  find  a  delicate  morsel,  she  forgets  self  and 
calls  her  young  ones  to  partake  of  it!  Such  is  the 
model  Jesus  proposes  for  imitation.  If  our  hearts  re- 
main cold  toward  children  we  shall  run  the  risk  of  be- 
ing eternally  lost."  No!  it  shall  not  be  thus!  For 
the  future  the  defects  of  their  years  shall  be  to  us  a 
new  motive  for  greater  zeal. 

But,  after  all,  what  is  there  astonishing  in  the  fact 
that  children  have  faults  ?  If  they  were  perfect,  what 
would  be  the  need  of  education  ?  What  is  the  purport 
of  parents  who  confide  their  children  to  our  care? 


CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS. 

Is  it  not  that  we  may  refine  their  crude  natures,  and 
spare  no  trouble  in  rooting  up  their  bad  habits,  and 
implant  in  their  souls  the  good  seed  of  virtue  ? 

What  should  we  think  of  a  teacher  who  would  get 
into  a  passion  with  children  because  they  were  not 
able  to  solve  a  problem,  or  demonstrate  a  theorem  in 
Geometry,  or  invent  a  scheme  or  a  skeleton  for  an 
essay,  or  follow  a  train  of  reasoning?  Naturally,  we 
would  be  inclined  to  smile  at  him,  because  he  expects 
of  children  what  would  take  years  of  patient  labor  to 
accomplish.  The  intellectual  faculties  should  be  de- 
veloped gradually,  and  the  teacher  ought  to  be  satis- 
fied if  he  can  awaken  interest  in  the  study  he  has  to 
teach.  This  is  assuredly  no  easy  task,  as  experience 
testifies.  Mental  development  is  slow,  and  proceeds 
by  gradual  stages.  It  is  accomplished  only  after  long 
years  of  patient,  methodical,  and  persistent  labor. 
Could  we  act  otherwise  when  the  education  and  de- 
velopment of  the  child's  will  and  character  are  in- 
volved? Besides,  if  we  had  a  class  of  saints  to  look 
after  we  would  surely  not  expect  a  recompense  for  pa- 
tience or  devotedness !  We  should  then  be  mere  spec- 
tators only  of  an  heroic  combat,  without  any  partici- 
pation therein.  Could  we  consistently  claim  any  of 
the  prizes  given  to  the  victors  ? 

"Patience,"  remarks  Bishop  Spalding,  (1)  "is  ca- 
pacity to  bear,  to  bear  work  and  to  bear  pain :  and  it 
is  only  by  faithful  exercise  of  this  capacity  that  char- 
acter and  mind  can  be  formed  and  cultivated. ' ' 


(1)  Bishop  Spalding,  Aphorisms  and  Reflections,  p.  ISO. 


10       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

II. 

THE  TEACHER  SHOULD  NOT  BE  DISHEARTENED,  BECAUSE 

HIS  PUPILS  HAVE  DEFECTS,  NEITHER  SHOULD  HE 

DISPLAY  HASTE  IN  THEIR  CORRECTION. 

The  following  principle  is  of  primary  importance 
to  a  teacher  of  youth :  To  endure  with  calmness  the 
evil  he  can  not  prevent,  and  to  suffer  tranquilly  and 
without  disquietude,  the  privation  of  the  good  which 
he  so  ardently  desires,  either  for  the  class  in  general 
or  for  certain  pupils  in  particular.  Learn  how  to  be 
resigned  and  know  how  to  wait.  Now,  God  certainly 
could,  if  He  so  wished,  oblige  His  creatures  to  do 
whatever  He  required  of  them,  and  yet,  observe  with 
what  patience  and  long-suffering  He  awaits  their  re- 
turn to  Him.  He  never  forces,  never  constrains  them. 
And  we  poor  mortals  who  possess  neither  the  power 
of  God  nor  the  knowledge  of  His  impenetrable  secrets, 
dare  betray  our  impatience  when  we  are  not  instantly 
obeyed!  What  presumption  to  feign  the  good  more 
ardently  than  He  does !  Let  us  not  be  rash,  but  rather 
let  us  abide  His  time,  being  assured  that  His  own  good 
pleasure  will  effect  what  we  desire,  or  procure  for  us 
even  something  better.  Moreover,  may  it  not  be  true 
that  He,  under  certain  given  circumstances,  does  not 
want  our  success,  but  merely  wishes  to  test  our  good 
will  and  our  resignation. 

"When  you  have  personally,  conscientiously  ful- 
filled your  duties  to  the  best  of  your  knowledge  and 
ability,"  writes  a  man  of  eminent  virtue,  "do  not 
allow  your  heart  to  be  disturbed  or  disheartened,  but 


CHILDREN  ARE  FULL  OF  DEFECTS.         11 

leave  your  success  to  an  All-wise  Providence  who  dis- 
poses all  things  in  accordance  with  His  good  pleas- 
ure." 

Furthermore,  "be  not  too  eager  concerning  the 
faults  and  defects  which  now  exist  or  may  hereafter 
exist,  nor  about  the  means  of  their  prevention,"  as 
St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle  adroitly  admonishes, 
"and  seek  not  to  prevent  a  wrong  by  another  wrong, 
that  is,  by  being  too  hasty  t6  do  good.  Observe  God 's 
ways  in  dealing  with  men.  He  manifests  His  Divine 
Will  and  does  whatever  His  wisdom  and  love  can  sug- 
gest without  constraining  us,  and  then  allows  us  per- 
fect liberty  of  action  to  do  the  good  or  avoid  the  evil. 
Notice,  again,  how  He  acted  toward  His  apostles.  He 
first  instructs  and  exhorts  them,  and  then  He  permits 
them  freedom  and  liberty  of  action,  without  being  the 
least  disturbed  as  to  the  results.  Moreover,  let  us 
carefully  bear  in  mind  that  a  too  great  eagerness  to 
do  good  very  often  neutralizes  and  destroys  it;  for, 
some  minds  are  so  constituted  that  a  too  great  op- 
position only  confirms  them  in  wrong-doing.  The  ex- 
ample of  a  skilful  gardener  will  serve  to  illustrate  this 
thought.  When  he  desires  a  branch  to  take  a  direction 
opposite  to  its  natural  growth,  he  is  exceedingly  cau- 
tious not  to  force  it  too  much  at  a  time.  He  is  content 
with  a  little  gain  every  day  or  every  week.  He  is  fully 
aware  that  to  accomplish  his  object,  it  will  take  a 
year  or  even  years,  ere  the  branch  yields  to  his  train- 
ing. He  is  by  no  means  discouraged.  On  the  contra- 
ry, he  is  perfectly  content  with  the  slow,  gradual  pro- 
cess, because  he  fully  realizes  that  if  he  does  not  exer- 
cise the  greatest  care  and  good  judgment,  he  is  apt  to 


12       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

break  the  branch  and  thus  defeat  his  own  object  and 
render  its  accomplishment  impossible.  Hence,  when 
we,  too,  meet  with  a  difficult  case,  we  should  allow  our 
heart  to  expand  and  give  full  sway  to  our  charity,  and 
leave  to  God  the  return  of  such  souls  to  virtuous  ways, 
for  they  are  beyond  our  power  and  control.  Conse- 
quently, it  is  the  part  of  wisdom,  under  such  circum- 
stances, to  deal  rather  with  God  than  man,  for  the 
Creator  holds  the  hearts  of  all  men  in  His  hands  and 
can  turn  them  as  He  wills.  It  is  to  be  feared,  how- 
ever, that  you  dread  defects  too  much,  and  that  you 
have  not  completely  mastered  that  serenity  of  mind 
and  heart,  and  equanimity  of  temper  which  should  al- 
ways characterize  the  religious  teacher." 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  13 


SECOND  OBJECTION. 

CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS  BUT  BUDDING  VICES ; 

HENCE  IT  IS  USELESS  TO  WASTE  TIME  IN 

CORRECTING  THEM. 

Alas  !  our  frailty  is  the  cause,  not  we  ; 

For,  such  as  we  are  made  of,  such  we  be. — Shakespeare. 

Another  objection  which  ordinarily  obtains,  is  de- 
duced not  from  defects  only,  but  from  the  budding 
vices  detected  in  pupils. 

Generally,  when  a  young  teacher  assumes  the 
charge  of  a  class  for  the  first  time,  his  quick  eye  and 
ready  wit  detect  many  irregularities  which  he  had 
supposed  foreign  to  innocent  child-nature.  He  will, 
no  doubt,  find  some  children  who,  through  a  lack  of 
early  training,  or  through  a  want  of  proper  vigilance 
on  the  part  of  parents,  or  through  force  of  circum- 
stances and  environments,  have  been  already  initiated 
into  evil  ways  and  steeped  in  vice,  despite  their  tender 
years.  The  discovery  of  this  state  of  youthful  degen- 
eration is  apt  to  create  a  baneful  impression  upon  the 
mind  of  the  young,  inexperienced  teacher.  Naturally, 
he  flattered  himself  at  the  bright,  hopeful  prospect  of 
having  to  deal  only  with  innocent  children,  free  from 
all  guile  or  malice.  The  beautiful  ideal  was  conjured 
up  by  his  vivid  imagination  and  clothed  to  suit  his 
lancy.  He  never  suspected  the  possibility  of  ever  hav- 
ing it  disfigured.  How  different  now  the  vision  when 
confronted  with  stern  reality !  He  discovers  that  all 
are  not  lambs.  He  has  to  deal  with  the  zebra  of  the 


14      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

desert  whose  form  and  movements,  according  to  the 
language  of  Scripture,  are  beautiful  and  graceful, 
exciting  our  admiration,  but  whose  impetuous  nature 
will  brook  no  restraint.  Hence  we  need  not  wonder 
that  the  young  teacher  should  be  tempted  to  despair  of 
success.  It  is  natural  that  he  should  ask  himself :  Of 
what  avail  are  my  labors?  What  is  the  good  in  en- 
deavoring to  accomplish  an  impossible  task  ? 

"It  is  true,"  as  Gerson  acknowledges,  "that  a 
great  many  children  have  offended  God.  Seduced  by 
the  temptations  of  Satan,  or  led  astray  by  bad  com- 
panions, they  have  unfortunately  lost  their  innocence 
and  have  suffered  shipwreck  in  their  virtue.  They 
have  perhaps  contracted  pernicious  habits  of  sin.  Do 
not,  however,  despair.  No  matter  how  corrupted  they 
may  be,  it  is  certainly  easier  to  correct  them  now 
than  to  wait  until  their  passions  have  developed  full 
strength,  or  have  taken  deep  root  in  their  youthful 
hearts." 

But  this  is  not  all.  Let  us  assume  the  hypothesis 
that  the  conscientious  labors  of  the  young  Christian 
teacher  have  been  seemingly  fruitless,  and  that  the 
greater  number  of  children  remain  hardened,  ob- 
durate, despite  all  his  efforts.  We  do  not  hesitate 
to  affirm  that  his  labors  have  not  been  entirely  in- 
effectual. ' '  Should  I  succeed  in  saving  the  soul  of  one 
child  only,  in  a  month  or  in  a  year,"  says  Gerson  else- 
where, "surely  you  would  not  consider  that  a  loss 
of  time."  St.  Ignatius  esteemed  his  labors  amply  re- 
warded if  he  succeeded  in  preventing  the  commission 
of  a  single  mortal  sin. 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  15 

Now,  it  is  obvious  from  the  import  of  the  objec- 
tion, that  the  young  teacher  has  not  studied  child- 
nature.  He  presumes  a  nature  still  untainted,  where- 
as he  should  remember  that  original  sin  has  pro- 
foundly altered  it,  particularly  in  its  moral  faculties. 
It  is  weak  and  prone  to  evil  in  many  ways.  The  na- 
ture of  the  child  must  needs  be  carefully  developed, 
prepared,  and  equipped  for  battle,  and  thus  be  en- 
abled to  free  itself  from  inordinate  passions. 

The  educator  should,  moreover,  bear  well  in  mind 
that  the  child's  faculties  are  not  only  powers  capable 
of  acting,  but  are  really  active.  The  intellect  is  eager 
for  the  truth,  and  seeks  it  with  a  restless  curiosity. 
The  sensitive  appetites  are  prompt  to  emotions,  while 
the  will  freely  determines  its  acts,  whence  are  born 
habits.  But  this  activity,  although  still  feeble,  has 
need  of  guidance  as  well  as  support.  This  education 
assures  to  it.  Thus  education,  rightly  understood,  will 
give  to  child-nature  its  strength,  and,  with  God's  help, 
will  teach  it  to  control  its  passions  and  inclinations. 

Besides,  the  educator  who  seriously  studies  the 
child-nature,  will  discover  two  distinct  elements:  the 
one,  fundamental,  common  to  all,  and  the  other  vari- 
able, comprising  the  peculiarities  which  distinguish 
one  child  from  another.  Now,  the  fundamental  ele- 
ment is  the  human  composite,  comprising  its  two  sub- 
stances, the  spiritual  and  the  material.  It  is  the 
comprehension  of  the  phenomena  of  the  sensitive  life 
and  those  of  the  intellectual,  moral,  and  supernatural 
life.  It  is  this  which  characterizes  child-nature,  where-" 
in  it  is  yet  weak  and  imperfect.  The  variable  element 
which,  on  the  other  hand,  consists  in  the  many  differ- 


16       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

ences,  determines  among  children  the  temperament, 
the  physical  constitution,  the  moral  character,  and 
the  dispositions  of  the  mind,  will,  and  heart.  (1) 

This  thorough  knowledge  of  child-nature  is  re- 
quisite for  the  Christian  teacher,  for  the  educative 
action  should  tend  to  give  both  a  general  impetus  to 
the  pupils  and  an  individual  direction  to  the  ideas, 
sentiments,  and  habits  of  every  child  composing  the 
class.  If  the  general  principles  of  direction  are  the 
same  for  all  children,  in  so  far  as  their  nature  is  the 
same  in  its  essential  constitution,  how  varied,  then, 
is  the  manner  of  applying  them  to  each  child !  Here 
is  precisely  where  the  educator's  error  lies,  when  he 
is  ignorant  of  the  way  of  knowing  how  to  take  each 
child  and  direct  him  properly.  St.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle 
fully  understood  the  importance  of  this  comprehen- 
sive study  of  child-nature.  He  said:  "Discern  the 
manner  in  which  to  act  toward  pupils.  Experience 
teaches  that  men,  and  especially  children,  can  not  be 
directed  in  the  same  way:  some  require  great  mild- 
ness, while  others  need  to  be  directed  with  firmness. 
There  are  those  who  demand  great  patience,  while 
others  need  to  be  stimulated:  some  require  to  be  re- 
buked sharply  to  correct  them  of  their  faults,  and 
others  need  constantly  to  be  watched,  lest  they  go 
astray  or  lose  themselves.  This  varied  conduct  must 
depend  upon  our  knowledge  and  discernment."  (2) 

Always  remember  that  God  does  not  require  suc- 
cess, and  that  the  greater  the  combat  the  more  glorious 
shall  be  our  crown.  We  seem  to  forget  that  our  cal- 

(1)  Cf.  Elements  de  Pedagogic  Pratique  c.  //.,  p.  53. 

(2)  Meditations  for  Sundays   and  Festivals,   II.    Sunday   after 
Easter,  p.  142. 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  17 

culations  and  conclusions  are  very  often  false.  Not 
infrequently,  good  is  effected  at  the  very  moment 
when  it  seems  that  all  is  lost,  and  that  our  time  has 
been  hopelessly  wasted. 

Now,  "I  am  fully  aware,"  observes  Gerson,  "that 
certain  children  remain  hardened  notwithstanding 
all  our  efforts,  while  others,  after  having  been  good 
for  a  time,  grow  weary  of  well-doing  and  deviate 
from  the  path  of  righteousness.  Nevertheless,  I  do 
not  on  that  account  consider  my  work  lost.  I  cherish 
the  fond  hope  that  the  good  seed  I  have  sown,  may 
yet  produce  its  fruit  when  the  opportune  moment 
arrives.  How  often  do  we  not  see  men  of  mature 
minds  and  years  recall,  in  the  agonizing  throes  of 
adversity,  the  lessons  they  have  received  in  boyhood 
days!  How  bitterly  do  they  not  bewail  the  little 
benefit  derived  therefrom!  But  they  return  to  God 
fully  converted  after  having  been  touched  by  His  ten- 
der mercies  and  chastened  by  the  rude  hand  of  afflic- 
tion. I  shall  therefore  continue  to  plant  and  water 
the  good  seed,  sincerely  trusting  that  God  will  give 
the  increase  when,  where,  and  how  it  shall  please 
Him." 

Happily  the  number  of  those  who  do  not  profit 
by  the  blessings  of  a  Christian  education  is  small. 
"Yes,"  observed  Pope  Pius  V.,  "constant  experience 
teaches  us  that  children  who  have  been  educated  in  a 
Christian  manner,  lead  generally  a  chaste  and  ex- 
emplary life,  and  attain  even  to  eminent  sanctity: 
whereas  those  who  have  not  enjoyed  this  blessing, 
are  almost  invariably  lost,  or  what  is  still  more  de- 
plorable, they  contribute  to  the  loss  of  others  by  their 
2 


18      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

bad  example.  They  plunge  headlong  into  revolting 
vices  and  commit  sins  from  which  Christian  education 
would  have  preserved  them. ' '  • 

The  opinion  of  this  saintly  Pope  is  certainly  very 
consoling.  It  should  excite  our  zeal,  for  it  promises 
almost  certain  ultimate  success  as  the  reward  of 
our  continued  and  sustained  efforts. 

To  attain  the  worthy  end  of  our  ministry,  the 
Christian  teacher  should  leave  nothing  undone  to 
make  himself  complete  master  of  the  situation,  re- 
ligiously and  intellectually.  Intellectually,  he  must 
needs  possess  a  practical  knowledge  of  child-nature. 
Hence,  he  should  make  a  serious  study  of  General 
Psychology,  and  particularly  that  which  applies  to 
the  nature  of  children.  He  should  likewise  often  re- 
call the  manner  in  which  he  himself  was  educated 
and  the  means  that  were  employed  to  direct  and  aid 
him  in  controlling  passions.  Then  he  should  carefully 
study  the  children  under  his  care,  note  their  habits, 
temperament,  disposition,  and  aptitudes.  If  he  does 
this  conscientiously,  he  will  be  well  equipped  to  gov- 
ern children  and  to  direct  each  one  according  to  his 
individual  character.  His  work  will  then  prove  in- 
teresting and  far  from  being  a  waste  of  time.  For 

He  who  reigns  within  himself,  and  rules 

Passions,  desires,  and  fears,  is  more  than  a  king. — Milton. 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  19 

I. 
A  BAD  BEGINNING  BUT  A  HAPPY  ENDING. 

"In  1775,"  writes  Mgr.  de  Segur,  "the  city  of 
Osimo,  near  Loretto,  Italy,  had  organized  a  splendid 
procession  to  celebrate  the  opening  of  the  Jubilee, 
in  which  all  the  students  of  the  College  and  Seminary 
were  participants.  It  was  customary  at  such  solemn 
celebrations  that  the  Cross-bearer  be  accompanied  by 
two  acolytes,  each  bearing  a  richly-wrought  mas- 
sive silver  candle-stick.  On  this  occasion,  the  two 
acolytes  selected  for  the  honor,  were  sons  of  noble 
and  illustrious  families,  both  of  the  same  age,  and 
by  name,  Delia  Genga  and  Castiglione.  While  the 
procession  was  in  progress,  the  two  young  noblemen 
began  to  quarrel  for  some  reason  or  other,  and  an 
exciting  duel  in  words  resulted.  From  disrespectful 
words,  they  came  to  blows.  Having  no  other  weapons 
than  their  artistically  carved  candlesticks,  they,  in 
the  heat  of  passion,  began  to  strike  each  other  with 
them,  and  before  any  person  could  interfere,  Delia 
Genga  had  received  a  blow  which  stretched  him  sense- 
less on  the  ground. 

"In  1825,  fifty  years  after  this  incident,  the  next 
Jubilee  was  proclaimed.  Here  again  we  find  our  two 
acolytes.  One,  Delia  Genga,  is  now  the  supreme  Pon- 
tiff, under  the  memorable  name  of  Leo  XII.  Sur- 
rounded by  the  whole  Roman  Court,  the  Holy  Father 
proceeds  from  the  Vatican  Palace  to  St.  Peter's  to 
preside  at  the  ceremony  of  'the  opening  of  the  Holy 
Door.'  This  consists  in  opening  a  certain  door  of  St. 
Peter's  which  remains  walled  up,  except  during  the 


20      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Jubilee  Year.  When  the  Supreme  Pontiff  arrives 
at  the  Holy  Door,  the  Cardinal  Grand  Penitentiary 
presents  him  with  a  silver  hammer  with  which  the 
Holy  Father  knocks  at  the  door,  the  signal  for  the 
removal  of  the  brick  wall.  When  the  artisans  have 
completed  their  task,  the  Holy  Father  enters,  and  the 
door  is  then  declared  open  for  the  year. 

"The  Cardinal  Grand  Penitentiary  on  this  oc- 
casion is  no  other  than  the  companion  acolyte  in  the 
procession  of  Osimo,  in  1775.  It  was  certainly  a  re- 
markable coincidence.  After  receiving  the  hammer 
from  fhe  hands  of  the  now  Cardinal  Castiglione,  the 
Pope,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  eye  and  a  signifii 
cant  smile,  asked  him  in  a  whisper:  'Does  your 
Eminence  remember  what  took  place  at  the  last  Jubi- 
lee? You  then  also  gave  me  a  beautiful  instrument, 
but  not  with  the  gentleness  and  grace  with  which 
you  handed  me  the  silver  hammer.' 

"  'Full  well  do  I  remember  that  memorable  oc- 
casion, Holy  Father,'  replied  the  blushing  and  con- 
fused Cardinal,  '  and  hope  that  your  Holiness  has  long 
since  forgiven  me,  though  it  is  evident  you  have  not 
forgotten  the  unfortunate  incident.' 

"Four  years  elapsed,  and  the  great  Leo  XII., 
who  had  been  universally  loved  and  honored,  ended 
his  too  brief,  but  glorious  reign.  When  the  sacred 
College  met  in  Conclave  to  elect  his  successor,  Cardi- 
nal Castiglione  was  proclaimed  Pope,  under  the  name 
of  Pius  VIII." 

Great,  indeed,  would  have  been  the  astonishment 
of  those  who  witnessed  the  quarrel  in  1775,  could 
they  have  foreseen  the  splendid  future  and  true  great- 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  21 

ness  of  the  two  angry  acolytes.  Consequently,  never 
despair,  no  matter  how  deplorable  the  degeneracy, 
nor  how  wicked,  the  pupils  may  appear.  Always 
remember  that  the  pupil  who  makes  a  bad  beginning, 
may  end  very  nobly. 


"There  was  an  occasion,"  writes  Mgr.  Dupanloup 
to  a  friend,  "when  I  had  to  oppose  strenuously  the 
dismissal  of  two  students  from  the  College.  I  had 
the  entire  faculty  against  me.  But  feeling  the  jus- 
tice of  my  cause,  I  pleaded  with  the  professors  and 
convinced  them  that  the  two  students  had  good  parts, 
and  that  dismissal  at  this  critical  stage  of  their  lives, 
meant  moral  ruin.  The  faculty  reconsidered  the  cases, 
and  the  students  remained.  Now,  one  of  these  stu- 
dents was  of  a  turbulent  disposition,  and  very  reck- 
less; yet  withal,  I  noticed  that  he  worked  well  and 
seemed  full  of  faith;  in  fact  he  was  good  at  heart. 

He  died  quite  recently, 

Provincial  of  a  Religious  Order,  leaving  after  him 
a  name  held  in  high  esteem,  and  bearing  a  reputation 
for  profound  learning  and  moral  worth. 

"The  other  student  was  inclined  to  laziness  and 
indifference.  However,  I  was  frequently  surprised 
to  find  in  his  work  the  germs  of  latent  talent  which 
gave  promise  of  future  greatness,  if  duly  developed. 
Consequently,  I  espoused  his  cause  warmly  and  de- 
fended his  interests  whenever  the  occasion  demanded. 
I  have  still  a  very  distinct  recollection  of  one  of  the 
meetings  of  the  faculty,  in  which  I  had  to  defend 
my  hero.  I  told  the  members  of  that  board :  '  Gentle- 


22       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

men,  beware  of  what  you  are  about  to  do.  Festina 
lentc,  and  do  not  merit  the  reproach  which  Alexander 
addressed  to  the  grooms  of  his  stables.  'Stupid  fel- 
lows !  You  do  not  know  the  value  of  the  horse  which 
you  killed,  because  of  your  ignorance  of  knowing 
how  to  handle  him. ' 

"Well,  my  dear  friend,  the  student  in  question 
is  to-day  one  of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  our 
Country." 

Young  teachers  must  needs  put  on  the  armor  of 
invincible  courage.  They  should  never  lose  sight 
of  the  fact  that  their  guilty  negligence  may  serious- 
ly compromise  God's  glory  and  possibly  endanger  the 
salvation  of  the  children  of  a  whole  school.  Let  them 
not  claim  that  the  hardships  of  their  profession  are 
beyond  endurance.  What  profession  is  without  its 
perils  and  difficulties?  The  hero  always  rises  pro- 
portionately to  the  danger  and  counts  personal  suf- 
ferings as  naught  where  the  general  good  is  at  stake. 
Let  no  one  presume  to  say  that  time  is  uselessly  spent 
when  there  is  question  of  teaching  souls  to  love  their 
Creator.  Let  the  teacher  remember  the  infinite  prize 
paid  for  the  ransom  of  souls,  and  this  thought  alone 
will  make  him  a  hero,  and  induce  him  to  undergo  all 
kinds  of  privations,  aye,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  life 
itself. 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  23 

II. 

ADVANTAGES    ACCRUING    TO    THE     CHRISTIAN     TEACHER 

FROM    THE    SUFFERING    AND    WEARINESS    CAUSED 

THROUGH  INTRACTABLE  PUPILS. 

We  must  needs  suffer  with  patience  and  equanim- 
ity the  hardships  and  difficulties  which  the  duties  of 
our  profession  entail.  It  is  equally  necessary  to  per- 
severe in  well-doing  toward  the  pupils  who  may 
wound,  grieve,  or  annoy  us,  without  cessation  of  la- 
bor, or  without  afflicting  our  spirit,  or  without  embit- 
tering our  disposition,  or  disturbing  the  even  tenor  of 
our  way.  We  should  always  bear  in  mind  that  to 
our  long-suffering  and  patience  are  primarily  at- 
tached our  own  merit  as  well  as  the  reformation  of  our 
undisciplined,  uncultured  pupils.  Above  all,  we 
should  ever  remember  that  to  our  disinterested  zeal 
and  single  eye  will  they  owe,  in  a  great  measure,  their 
salvation.  Moreover,  the  brightest  and  most  precious 
gems  in  our  heavenly  crown  will  largely  depend  upon 
our  zeal  and  patience. 

"In  our  rambles  through  Public  Parks  and 
Squares,"  writes  the  Rev.  Fr.  Binet,  "our  attention 
is  sometimes  arrested  by  a  magnificent  fountain  which 
throws  out  jets  of  water  from  the  dragon's  mouth.  It 
has,  undoubtedly,  never  entered  our  minds  while 
standing  admiringly  before  such  a  beautiful  creation, 
to  accuse  the  artist  of  an  attempt  upon  our  lives. 
Why,  the  insinuation  is  absurd !  We  praise  his  genius, 
and  fearlessly  quench  our  thirst  with  the  cooling 
draught  of  the  refreshing  waters.  Excellent!  Sup- 


24      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

pose  now  that  we  transfer  the  scene  to  the  classroom. 
When  a  child,  forsooth,  looks  at  you  sullenly,  scowl- 
ingly,  or  perhaps  calumniates  and  slanders  you,  let 
him  be  to  you  as  the  dragon's  mouth.  Treat  him  as 
you  did  the  fountain.  From  between  his  sharp  teeth 
draw  the  beneficent,  healing  waters,  that  is,  make 
the  occasion  an  opportunity  for  practising  the  most 
charming  virtues." 

' '  Do  you  wish,  furthermore,  to  know, ' '  asks  Father 
Lohner,  "what  enters  into  the  plan  of  an  All- wise 
Providence  for  you  concerning  these  pupils,  and  all 
your  persecutors?  They  hold  precisely  the  same  rel- 
ative position  toward  you  which  is  held  by  the  bril- 
liant intellectual  gladiator  when  he  is  publicly  de- 
fending and  maintaining  his  thesis  against  a  stub- 
born, subtle,  and  ingenious  adversary.  By  their  very 
contradictions  they  bring  into  brighter  relief  your 
many  virtues,  your  patience,  your  humility,  your 
charity.  They  are  your  best,  truest  friends,  and  not 
your  enemies.  Consequently,  you  should  sincerely  tes- 
tify toward  them  your  deepest  gratitude." 

Who  can  predict  or  calculate  the  numberless 
graces  and  blessings  which  the  patience  and  long-suf- 
fering of  the  Christian  teacher  draw  down  upon  the 
class.  "Superiors  without  a  cross,"  says  the  cele- 
brated Fenelon,  "are  sterile  when  it  is  question  of 
the  formation  of  children  to  grace.  One  cross  man- 
fully and  generously  borne  lends  greater  authority 
and  imparts  greater  blessings  than  any  other  action 
they  can  perform  or  accomplish. ' ' 

"You  inform  me  that  your  community,"  writes 
the  gentle  St.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal,  "is  apparent- 


L  i 

CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  25 

ly  making  no  progress  in  perfection,  that  you  esteem 
your  labors  as  wholly  fruitless  and  in  vain,  and  that, 
in  your  judgment,  another  superior  would  accomplish 
better  results  and  certain  success.  But  you  seem  to 
exclude  altogether  from  your  mind  the  fact  that 
the  good  is  very  frequently  none  the  less  real,  al- 
though it  may  not  be  manifested  by  any  external 
signs.  Nevertheless,  seeds  you  have  sown  to-day,  will, 
in  due  season,  fructify  when  aided  by  the  labors  of 
your  successor,  and  yield  a  rich  harvest.  Be  con- 
soled, therefore,  that  not  a  single  word  of  yours  falls 
unheeded,  and  that  not  a  prayer  or  an  aspiration 
wafted  on  High,  is  useless  or  in  vain.  Moreover, 
every  good  example  given,  will,  sooner  or  later,  bear 
its  fruit  a  hundredfold."  "Now,  relative  to  the 
girls,"  she  wrote  to  another,  "do  your  duty  tran- 
quilly by  them,  without  being  in  the  least  disconcert- 
ed or  disquieted.  Needless  to  insist  that  God  who  is 
unquestionably  much  more  concerned  in  the  correction 
of  their  defects  than  you  could  ever  possibly  presume 
to  be,  nevertheless,  tolerates  them.  Hence,  endure 
with  patience,  since  you  are  in  no  wise  held  respon- 
sible for  their  faults.  They  will,  in  due  time,  become 
more  tractable,  and  will,  perhaps,  derive  greater  profit 
from  your  instruction  and  example,  after  they  have 
been  passed  over  to  other  hands.  Our  dear  Lord 
will  assuredly  not  permit  that  your  patient  and  char- 
itable labors  in  their  behalf,  shall  be  lost.  He  may, 
however,  will,  that  another,  and  not  you,  shall  en- 
joy the  consolation  and  reap  the  fruit  of  your  work." 
St.  Paul  boasted  and  gloried  in  having  accomplished 
in  the  flesh  that  which  was  wanting  to  the  sufferings 


26      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

of  Christ,  namely,  in  obtaining  for  sinners  by  his  own 
manifold  sufferings,  the  application  of  the  merits  of 
Jesus  Christ.  It  is  in  this  sense  also  that  St.  Francis 
de  Sales  spoke  when  referring  to  the  protomartyr, 
St.  Stephen:  "If  he  had  not  prayed  for  Saul,  we 
would  never  have  had  Paul. ' ' 

Behold  the  numberless,  meritorious  acts  performed 
by  Christian  teachers.  They  toil  and  labor,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  either  for  their  own  perfection  or 
for  the  moral  improvement  of  wrong-doers.  Who  will, 
therefore,  have  the  rashness  and  -presumption  to  say 
that  such  acts  as,  prayer,  mortification,  charitable  ad- 
monitions, good  examples,  patience,  humility,  and 
others,  are  of  little  or  no  consequence?  It  was  pre- 
cisely the  thought  of  such  acts  which  forced  St.  Au- 
gustine to  exclaim:  "The  good  would  soon  cease 
to  be  good,  if  they  had  not  the  wicked  to  exercise  their 
virtues. ' ' 

Therefore, 

"Cease  to  lament  for  that  thou  canst  not  help, 

And  study  help  from  that  which  thou  lament'st, 

Time  is  the  nurse  and  breeder  of  all  good." — Shakespeare. 

Courage  then,  faithful  teachers.  Fear  not  to  sow 
in  tears,  what  you  may  reap  in  joy.  Sow  with  all  the 
magnanimity  of  your  resources,  that  you  may  gather 
a  hundredfold  at  harvest  time.  The  husbandman 
never  complains  that  seed-time  lasts  too  long,  for  he 
is  aware  that  the  more  generously  he  sows  the  more 
abundantly  will  he  reap.  In  summer  time,  when  he 
sees  that  each  bushel  of  grain  yields  its  thirtyfold  or 
fortyfold,  he  is  sad  because  he  did  not  plant  more. 
The  present,  therefore,  is  the  seed  time  for 


CHILDREN  HAVE  NOT  ONLY  DEFECTS.  27 

you,  0  Christian  teachers!  Do  you  wish  the 
seed  of  eternal  glory  to  yield  a  hundredfold, 
then  sow  now  while  you  have  yet  time.  Hus- 
band the  moments  that  exercise  your  patience  in 
contradictions,  and  garner  scrupulously  the  precious 
time  allotted  for  the  constant  fidelity  to  all  the  duties 
of  your  sublime  calling. 

"With  the  pious  Thomas  a  Kempis  say:  "Lord 
Jesus,  as  Thou  hast  said  and  hast  promised,  so  may  it 
be  indeed ;  and  may  it  be  my  lot  to  merit  it. 

' '  I  have  received  the  cross,  I  have  received  it  from 
Thy  hand,  and  I  will  bear  it  until  death,  as  Thou 
hast  laid  it  upon  me.  Indeed  the  life  of  a  good  re- 
ligious man  is  a  cross,  but  it  is  a  cross  that  conducts 
him  to  paradise. 

"We  have  now  begun,  it  is  not  lawful  to  go  back, 
nor  may  we  leave  off. 

"Take  courage,  my  brethren,  let  us  go  forward 
together,  Jesus  will  be  with  us. 

"For  the  sake  of  Jesus  we  took  up  His  cross,  for 
the  sake  of  Jesus  let  us  persevere  in  it. 

"He  will  be  our  helper,  who  is  our  Captain  and 
our  Leader. 

"Behold,  our  King  marches  before  us,  who  will 
fight  for  us. 

"Let  us  follow  Him  like  men  of  courage;  let  no 
one  shrink  through  fear ;  let  us  be  ready  valiantly  to 
die  in  battle  and  not  suffer  our  glory  to  be  tarnished 
by  flying  from  the  standard  of  the  Cross."  (1) 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  chapt.  Ivi,  5,  S. 


28      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


THIRD  OBJECTION. 

THE  TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE. 
"0,  how  full  of  briers  is  the  working-day  world !" — Shakespeare. 

What  estimate  would  be  formed  of  a  merchant 
who  would  complain  of  the  incessant  fatigue  and 
mental  labor  attendant  upon  the  accumulation  of 
wealth?  From  a  worldly  point  of  view,  he  would 
undoubtedly  be  considered  a  fool.  How,  then,  will 
the  Christian  teacher  be  looked  upon  by  truly  apos- 
tolic men,  when  they  hear  him  murmuring  and  com- 
plaining, because  of  the  labor  consequent  upon  his 
sacred  functions? 

If  the  young  teacher  experiences  such  difficulties 
and  mental  anxiety  in  instructing  a  few  children, 
how  immeasurably  above  his  most  cruel  vexations 
must  be  the  sufferings  and  trials  of  those  heroic  mis- 
sionaries who  voluntarily  go  into  exile!  They  brave 
the  most  terrifying  tempests,  endure  untold  hardships 
and  privations,  incur  imminent  risk  of  being  ship- 
wrecked and  dashed  to  pieces  against  lurking  rocks, 
or  of  being  stranded  upon  some  hostile  shore  to  be- 
come the  capricious  sport  of  cruel  savages.  How  many 
of  them  have  suffered  a  most  horrible  death,  or  else 
lingered  for  years  in  the  most  loathsome  dungeons, 
a  prey  to  cold  and  fiendish  persecutors !  Let  us  pic- 
ture to  our  imagination  the  torturing  rack,  the  cal- 
dron of  seething  oil,  the  glowing  gridiron,  the  flay- 
ing alive,  and  a  thousand  other  refined  torments  in- 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  29 

vented  by  the  malice  of  incarnate  demons!  Youths 
and  maidens,  men  and  women,  nobles  and  slaves, 
representatives  from  every  station  of  life,  joyfully 
and  heroically  gave  themselves  up  as  willing  vic- 
tims to  earn  a  martyr's  crown. 

What  was  the  secret  motive-power  that  induced, 
impelled  the  Martyrs  and  Missionaries  to  endure  such 
heart-rending  trials,  sufferings,  and  persecutions?  It 
was  their  love  of  God.  Now,  the  greater  the  measure 
of  this  love,  the  greater  was  their  patience  under  tor- 
ment, the  greater  their  joy  to  be  accounted  worthy 
to  suffer  for  Christ.  And  we,  Christian  teachers,  what 
is  our  standard,  our  measure  of  love,  our  hidden  mo- 
tive-power ?  God  has  placed  us  in  a  position  that  calls 
for  generosity  of  love  and  nobility  of  heart,  and 
shall  we  refuse  Him  the  heroic  sacrifice  consequent 
upon  our  religious  profession,  and  complain  and  mur- 
mur, because  our  path  is  narrow  and  filled  with  briers 
and  thorns  ? 

Look,  again,  on  the  pale  and  emaciated  coun- 
tenance of  the  young  apprentice !  It  takes  long,  weary 
years  of  hard,  persistent,  and  irksome  toil  to  attain 
to  a  complete  mastery  of  his  art  or  trade.  What  pa- 
tient drudgery  is  demanded  of  him !  See  the  toilsome 
husbandman  as  he  strives  to  cultivate  that  sterile 
tract  of  land!  He  is  rewarded  with  a  rich  harvest 
only  by  the  painful  sweat  of  his  brow  and  after  hav- 
ing endured  the  burden  and  heats  of  the  day.  Behold 
the  religious  of  the  various  orders,  spending  and 
being  spent,  in  arduous,  painful  labor!  Cheerfully 
do  they  sacrifice  their  lives,  employ  their  talents,  skill, 
and  ability,  never  wearying  of  the  constant,  annoy- 


30       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

ing,  monotonous  repetition  to  teach  the  simplest  ele- 
ments of  an  art  or  a  science.  Success  has,  at  last, 
crowned  their  patient  efforts,  although  they  are  fully 
conscious  that  their  painful  sacrifices  are  frequently 
opposed  by  the  blackest  ingratitude.  Still  undaunt- 
ed, they  plod  their  weary  way.  Observe  the  superiors 
who  are  harassed  and  careworn  by  anxiety  and  dread, 
lest  their  services  prove  unavailing,  or,  perhaps,  al- 
together futile !  Despite  the  serene  brow  and  gentle 
smile,  the  path  of  superiors  is  one  of  thorns  rather 
than  roses,  and  difficulties  and  vexations  seem  to 
multiply  as  the  day  progresses.  Withal,  they  do  not 
shrink  from  the  cross,  but  courageously  cling  to  it 
and  patiently  bear  it,  as  if  it  were  the  distinctive 
badge  of  their  office.  Nay,  turn  where  you  will,  and 
everywhere  you  will  observe  the  spirit  of  resignatien, 
so  characteristic  of  the  man  of  true  worth  and  strong 
character.  Man  is  born  to  labor.  It  is  the  universal 
law ;  and  labor  is  always  more  or  less  painful.  Will 
you,  therefore,  claim  an  exemption  ?  Will  you  conse- 
quently succumb  and  refuse  to  bear  patiently  the 
annoyances  and  difficulties  attendant  upon  your  po- 
sition ? 

Let  us  place  before  our  mind  the  example  of  Jesus 
Christ.  He  was  in  labors  from  His  youth,  as  the 
Psalmist (1)  has  declared.  His  whole  life  was  one 
continuous  martyrdom.  And  we,  Christian  teachers, 
shall  we  dare  murmur  ?  Shall  we  seek  a  life  free  from 
trouble  and  vexation? 

The  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  who  gloried  in 
trials  and  tribulations,  bears  witness  that  every  cre- 
ature groaneth  and  travailetk  in  pain  <2).  And  we, 

(1)  Ps.  Ixxxvii,  16.     (2)  Rom.,  viii,  22. 


TKOUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  3i 

nevertheless,  presume  to  pass  through  this  vale  of 
tears  without  trials,  difficulties,  and  crosses.  By  what 
right  do  we  claim  this  prerogative,  this  privilege? 

Have  we  no  faults,  no  sins,  to  expiate  ?  If  the  just 
man  falls  seven  times  a  day,  what  presumption  have 
we,  impotent  creatures,  to  expect  to  pass  through  life 
without  spot  or  blemish?  Let  us  attentively  con- 
sider what  would  be  the  measure  of  our  suffering 
if  God  in  His  infinite  Justice,  had  cut  the  thread 
of  our  life  and  cast  us  into  the  abyss  of  hell,  there 
to  burn  in  the  fire  of  wrath,  to  endure  the  torture 
of  demons,  to  be  forever  crushed  under  the  awful, 
terrible  curse  of  an  offended,  avenging  God?  Hence 
to  escape  this  eternal  chastisement,  we  must  necessar- 
ily do  penance.  Now,  there  is  no  penitence  more 
acceptable  to  God,  nor  more  meritorious  to  our  sal- 
vation, than  suffering  and  bearing  for  His  love  the 
trials,  crosses,  and  afflictions,  which  we  will  unavoid- 
ably encounter  in  the  constant  and  daily  performance 
of  our  duties  toward  our  pupils.  We  should  always 
remember  this  apothegm:  Opportunity  makes  the 
man.  We  must  shoulder  our  difficulties  and  bear  them 
manfully,  being  fully  assured  that  we  will  thereby 
avoid  the  terrible  sufferings  of  eternity  which  await 
the  faint-hearted  in  God's  service. 

It  is  but  rational  to  follow  in  the  paths  dictated 
by  Supreme  Wisdom.  We  should  cease  therefore,  our 
murmurs  and  complaints,  and  so  act  that  we  can  say 
with  the  great  Apostle :  /  also  in  all  things  please  all 
men,  not  seeking  that  which  is  profitable  to  myself, 
but  to  many,  that  they  may  be  saved  (1).  If  we  fol- 

(1)  I.  Cor.,  x,  S3. 


32      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

low  the  noble  lessons  herein  inculcated,  we  may,  then, 
also  be  justified  in  exclaiming  like  Him :  I  exceeding- 
ly abound  with  joy  in  all  our  tribulations  t1). 


I. 


THE  ASPECT  FROM  WHICH  THE  DIFFICULTIES  OF  THE  RE- 
LIGIOUS TEACHER  SHOULD  BE  CONSIDERED. 

Instead  of  taking  nature  for  our  point  of  view, 
suppose  that  we  substitute  a  higher  standard,  namely, 
the  spirit  of  faith.  We  will,  then,  undoubtedly,  ob- 
tain, proportionately,  greater  strength  to  support  the 
immense  weight  of  our  perplexing  difficulties  as  well 
as  a  higher  degree  of  fortitude,  to  bear  with  subse- 
quent failures  and  discouragement.  Then,  too,  will 
our  resignation  under  adverse  circumstances  assert  its 
beneficent  influence,  and  powerfully  help  us  when 
confronted  with  serious  obstacles  which  we  will  neces- 
sarily have  to  withstand  in  the  faithful  and  conscien- 
tious performance  of  our  duties.  Moreover,  our  minds, 
being  less  perturbed  and  more  masters  of  themselves, 
we  will  accomplish  more  real  good,  with  better  and 
more  lasting  effect,  and,  at  the  same  time,  acquire 
greater  merit  for  heaven. 

"Happy  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ!"  exclaims  the 
pious  Father  Lyonnard  (2),  "your  sufferings,  united 
to  those  of  your  Master,  become  endowed  with  an 
efficaciousness  altogether  divine.  Through  them  you 

(l)  II,  Cor.,  vii,  li     (2)  Apostolat  de  la  souffrance. 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  33 

receive  the  power  to  free  yourself,  more  and  more, 
from  the  sad  consequences  of  sin,  thus  preventing 
the  demon  from  re-gaining  his  empire  over  you.  Be- 
sides providing  you  with  an  efficacious  expedient  for 
satisfying  God's  Justice  for  your  many  sins,  your 
sufferings,  if  patiently  endured,  will  put  you  in  pos- 
session of  a  most  happy  resource  wherewith  to  cancel 
a  debt  which  you  may,  perhaps,  owe  Him,  namely, 
some  temporal  punishment  still  due  for  sins  already 
pardoned.  It  is  through  sufferings  that  you  also  will 
obtain  the  remission  of  innumerable  faults  committed 
through  human  frailty  or  negligence,  and  assuredly 
this  is,  in  itself,  no  small  advantage.  For  every  truly 
spiritual  man  is  painfully  cognizant  of  the  serious 
obstacles  which  these  deliberate  venial  sins,  together 
with  their  habit,  place  in  the  path  of  a  soul  eager  for 
the  attainment  of  solid  virtues  and  a  higher  perfec- 
tion. Hence,  only  after  having  been  thus  cleansed 
from  the,  stains  of  sin,  does  it  follow  that  our  suffer- 
ings fill  up,  as  St.  Paul  teaches,  those  things  that  are 
wanting  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  (1).  By  this  strong 
language,  the  great  Apostle  was  anxious  to  make  us 
clearly  understand  that,  if  the  sufferings  of  Jesus 
Christ  be  not  applied  to  us  in  their  entirety,  it  is 
our  imperative  duty  that  we  perfect  and  supplement 
them  with  our  own.  Now,  since  our  Divine  Master 
was  obliged  to  suffer,  it  follows  that  His  members 
must  suffer  with  Him,  if  they  desire  to  participate 
in  the  salutary  benefits  of  His  Passion  and  Death.  For 
otherwise,  the  adorable  and  divine  whole,  which,  in 
the  inspired  language  of  the  Church  is  called  the 

(1)  Col.,  i,  2$. 
3 


34       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

mystical  Body  of  Jesus  Christ,  would  be  wanting  in 
that  harmony  which  should  exist  between  the  Head 
and  its  Members.  Indeed,  what  harmony  can  exist 
between  the  thorn-crowned  Head  and  members  who 
are  complete  strangers  to  suffering  ? 

"By  His  Passion  and  Death,  Jesus  has  reconciled 
us  with  God,  our  Father.  Consequently,  by  uniting 
our  sufferings  to  His,  we  obtain,  as  it  were,  a  new 
confirmation  of  this  blessed  reconciliation.  We  re- 
ceive thereby  also  an  increase  of  sanctifying  grace 
which  is  the  precious  pledge  of  our  redemption,  or 
rather,  it  is  our  own  reconciliation  effected  in  ua 
through  Jesus  Christ.  Moreover,  we  enter  into  a 
more  intimate  friendship  with  God  the  Father,  be- 
cause, owing  to  our  sufferings,  our  resemblance  to 
His  own  beloved  Son  has  become  more  perfect.  For 
there  is  nothing  which  the  Father  loves  more  to  be- 
hold in  the  members  of  His  Son  than  the  faithful 
imitation  of  His  suffering  and  crucified  life.  Simi- 
larly, nothing  can  be  more  delightful  to  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus  than  to  present  to  His  eternal  Father 
the  continuation  of  His  own  sufferings,  exemplified 
in  the  members  united  to  Him.  Ah!  if  necessity 
of  satisfying  Divine  Justice  explains  the  sufferings 
which  we  all  have  to  endure  in  this  vale  of  tears, 
the  immense  love  of  Jesus  Christ  for  His  Father  will 
also  give  us  the  truest  and  most  perfect  explanation ! 
Now,  that  Jesus  is  in  His  glory,  He  is  incapable  of 
suffering,  for  Christ  resurrected  suffers  and  dies  no 
more.  Nevertheless,  through  the  love  He  bears  His 
Father  and  us,  He  still  yearns  to  suffer  in  the  person 
of  His  members  in  whom  He  lovingly  longs  to  repro- 


TROUBLE  IN1  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  35 

duce  so  many  examples  of  His  own  suffering  and  cru- 
cified person,  thus  perpetuating  until  the  end  of  time 
His  amorous  and  doleful  passion.  He  wants  us,  fur- 
thermore, to  comprehend  the  eminent  advantages 
there  are  in  store  for  us  by  suffering  in  union  with 
our  Chief,  by  whose  power,  they  become,  in  a  man- 
ner, divine.  Therefore  it  is,  that  He  gives  us  so  large 
a  share  of  His  chalice  to  drink  and  so  large  a  share 
of  His  Cross.  Hence,  the  larger  the  portion  the 
Christian  drinks  of  this  bitter  draught,  the  more  does 
he  feel,  developing  and  fermenting  within  himself,  the 
sap  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  none  other  than  the 
sanctifying  and  vivifying  Blood  of  Jesus  crucified. 

"0  Christian  soul!  member  of  Jesus  Christ,  you 
also  suffer  and  wail,  and,  perhaps,  you  even  dare 
murmur!  Ah!  rather  rejoice  and  bless  the  Lord, 
whose  paternal  hand  strikes  you!  This  trial  which 
seems  to  you  so  hard  and  cruel,  is  but  a  visitation 
from  your  God,  which  Job,  that  perfect  type  of  pa- 
tience and  suffering,  so  beautifully  expresses:  Thou 
visitest  him  early  in  the  morning  and  Thou  provest 
him  suddenly  (*).  This  trial  is  but  a  new  and  higher 
degree  of  union  of  your  whole  being  with  that  of 
your  Divine  Head,  Jesus  Christ,  and,  consequently, 
a  more  abundant  participation  in  His  Divine  Life.  It 
is,  again,  another  guarantee  of  God's  friendship  and 
reconciliation  with  you. 

"Receive,  then,  from  His  loving  hand  with  equal 
gratitude,  consolation  and  affliction,  and  bear  con- 
stantly in  mind  that  this  illness,  this  infirmity,  this 
drawback,  this  tribulation,  is  only  a  precious  portion 

(1)  Job,  vii,  8. 


36      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER 'ENCOURAGED. 

of  the  Cross  of  Jesus.  It  is  a  drop  of  His  healing 
Blood,  falling  upon  you  from  His  gaping  wounds, 
and  conferring  upon  you  grace  and  salvation.  If  you 
had  had  the  unspeakable  privilege  of  standing  at  the 
foot  of  the  Cross  with  Mary,  the  Queen  of  Martyrs, 
at  the  moment  this  well-beloved  Saviour  died,  and 
had  one  drop  of  His  Divine  Blood  fallen  upon  your 
garments,  how  reverently  and  lovingly  would  you 
not  have  treasured  it !  But,  now,  that  our  Lord  sends 
you  an  affliction,  do  you  not  receive  thereby,  as  it 
were,  this  special  favor,  since  your  sufferings,  if  in- 
tentionally united  to  His,  are,  by  that  actual  inten- 
tion, united  to  His  Divine  Blood?  I  will  add,  could 
we  actually  take  into  our  hand  the  sufferings  of 
Christians  and  then  press  them,  we  would  make,  so 
to  speak,  issue  therefrom  drops  of  the  Blood  of  Jesus. 
Indeed,  Jesus  Christ,  as  Head  of  the  mystical  body, 
united  the  sufferings  of  all  His  members  so  inti- 
mately with  His  own,  that  He  with  them  forms, 
as  it  were,  but  one  and  the  same  body. 

"Oh!  how  altogether  different  a  complexion  the 
character  suffering  assumes,  when  contemplated  in 
the  light  of  faith!  In  proportion  as  suffering  ap- 
peared sad,  humbling,  crushing,  when  we  had  shut 
out  this  light  of  faith  from  our  soul  and  trampled  up- 
on supernatural  motives,  so  now,  in  the  same  pro- 
portion, also  does  it  confer  a  something,  sweet  and 
elevating,  which  rejoices  man  while  afflicting  him, 
and  ennobles  him  while  humiliating  him.  It  is  the 
charming  rose  with  its  inseparable  thorn,  a  luscious 
fruit  of  exquisite  sweetness  under  a  rough  and  bit- 
ter skin,  the  purest  gold  hidden  by  coarse  earth.  Is 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  37 

it,  then,  to  be  wondered  at  that  sufferings  borne  with 
patience  and  resignation,  render  us  agreeable  to  God 
and  open  to  us  the  portals  of  heaven?  What  a  con- 
soling thought  !  '  ' 


II. 

SUFFERING   AN   ESSENTIAL   CONDITION   TO  DO   GOOD. 

"Our  Lord,"  says  Father  Lallemant  (1),  "ac- 
complished the  redemption  of  the  world  only  by  His 
Cross  and  Death  and  the  shedding  of  His  Blood  and 
not  by  His  miracles  and  sermons.  It  follows  then 
as  a  natural  consequence  that  all  apostolic  men,  if 
they  desire  to  apply  the  saving  grace  of  His  redemp- 
tion, can  effect  it  only  by  the  cross  and  persecutions 
which  they  have  to  endure.  Hence,  we  must  neither 
hope  nor  expect  any  fruit  from  our  labors,  unless 
they  be  accompanied  by  opposition  and  seasoned  with 
sufferings.  9 

"Crosses  are  essential  in  effecting  man's  sal- 
vation. It  is  by  the  royal  road  of  the  Cross  that  God 
conducts  those  whom  He  selects  to  labor  for  the  sal- 
vation of  souls.  This  was  the  thorny  road  of  the 
Apostles  and  of  Apostolic  men,  like  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  St.  Ignatius  Loyola,  St.  Vincent  Ferrer,  and 
St.  Dominic. 

"Hence,  we  should  not  look  upon  our  tribula- 
tions, either  as  so  many  evils,  or  as  so  many  humilia- 
tions, which  tend  to  degrade  us  before  men.  "We 
should  on  the  contrary,  view  them,  in  imitation  of 

(1)  P.  Lallemant,  S.  J.,  Doctrine  Spirituelle. 


38       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

our  incomparable  Model,  either  as  forming  a  part  of 
the  eternal  designs  of  God,  or,  as  being  in  accordance 
with  the  order  of  His  Fatherly  Providence,  thus  man- 
ifesting His  Infinite  Love  towards  us.  Moreover,  we 
ought  to  look  upon  our  sufferings  as  having  been 
specially  selected  for  us  by  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus. 
He  lovingly  presents  them  to  us  as  so  many  bright 
gems  to  be  set  in  the  crowns  which  He  is  preparing 
for  us.  Lastly,  we  should  consider  them  as  serving 
to  test  our  virtues  and  our  fidelity  in  His  service." 

"Afflictions  are,"  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  assures  us, 
"the  surest  pledge  of  God's  love  towards  us." 

Now,  the  most  efficacious  way  of  effecting  our  own 
and  our  neighbor's  salvation  is,  according  to  Father 
Lyonnard's  teaching,  to  suffer  and  to  pray  in  the  true 
spirit  of  humility,  confidence,  love,  and  in  unison  with 
Jesus  Christ.  These  are  two  essential,  inseparable 
conditions  pertaining  to  supernatural  life.  For,  to 
attempt  their  separation,  especially  in  the  exercise 
of  our  apostolic  zeal,  is  very  seriously  to  compromise 
the  result.  Hence  Christian  teachers  who  desire  sin- 
cerely to  concur  in  the  saving  of  souls,  must  needs 
suffer  and  pray. 

We  must  exercise,  then,  the  Apostolate  of  Suffer- 
ing concurrently  with  that  of  teaching.  We  should 
frequently  offer  to  God  our  labors,  trials,  privations, 
mortifications,  contradictions,  and  all  difficulties 
which  confront  us  in  our  daily  functions,  and  also 
those  which  are  opposed  to  the  eternal  welfare  of  our 
pupils. 

For  our  sufferings,  when  united  to  those  of  the 
Agonizing  Heart  of  Jesus,  will  save  their  souls.  We 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  89 

should  apply  ourselves  zealously,  ardently,  and  lov- 
ingly, to  this  holy  and  salutary  Apostolate  of  Suffer- 
ing, with  all  the  powers  of  our  soul  and  strength  of 
will.  We  should,  moreover,  be  firmly  convinced  that 
in  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  the  living  members 
of  Jesus  Christ,  there  are  concealed  and  hidden  many 
treasures  of  grace.  Let  us  seek  them,  therefore,  in 
a  spirit  of  faith,  humility,  zeal,  and  patience,  both 
for  our  own  spiritual  perfection  and  for  the  salva- 
tion of  those  entrusted  to  our  guidance. 


III. 

i 

COMMANDANT  MARCEAU. 

Commandant  Marceau  was  one  of  those  strong, 
impressive  characters  whose  very  personality  and  in- 
dividuality was  an  illustrious  exemplification  of  a 
truly  noble  and  heroic  soul.  Conscious  as  he  was  of 
the  instability  of  human  glory  and  of  the  fickleness 
of  an  admiring  world,  he  felt  himself  interiorly  im- 
pelled to  seek  the  higher  and  more  imperishable  goods. 
Hence,  he  forthwith  relinquished  his  splendid  world- 
ly career  to  devote  his  life  and  talents  to  the  mis- 
sions of  Oceanica.  There  we  find  him  emulating  the 
glorious  example  of  St.  Paul. 

In  a  letter  written  to  a  young  man,  a  native  of 
Tonga,  whom  he  had  brought  to  Europe  and  whom 
he  ardently  wished  to  be  associated  with  him  in  his 
apostolic  labors,  we  read  these  remarkable  and  preg- 
nant words:  "The  Lord  has  signified  to  me  that 


40      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

in  order  to  work  efficaciously  for  the  conversion  of 
Oceanica,  we  must  suffer  much  and  pray  much." 

This  should  likewise  be  the  strong  conviction  of 
all  Christian  teachers.  They  should  never  forget  that 
unless  their  personal  labors  are  seconded  by  grace, 
they  can  not  effectively  work  in  a  field  pertaining  to 
the  salvation  of  their  pupils,  for  it  is  eminently  a 
work  of  the  supernatural  order.  But  what  they  can 
do  and  what  they  should  do,  if  they  be  fully  alive  to 
the  grandeur  of  their  calling,  is  to  pray  and  to  suf- 
fer; for  they  must  needs  fill  up,  according  to  St.  Paul, 
those  things  that  are  wanting  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ. (1)  To  ignore  this  fundamental  principle  is 
to  be  ignorant  of  what  constitutes  even  the  essence 
of  the  Christian  Apostolate. 

One  day  St.  Ignatius  was  asked,  whence  spiritual 
life  derived  its  greatest  advantage,  he  replied:  From 
suffering.  Now,  when  we  experience  no  tribulations 
from  without,  God  frequently  causes  them  to  spring 
up  in  our  soul.  Moreover,  when  in  the  order  of  His 
loving  Providence  He  has  destined  a  soul  for  some 
great  work  or  to  eminent  sanctity,  He  invariably  visits 
him,  like  Job  in  olden  times,  with  all  manner  of  ex- 
terior and  interior  trials.  These  visitations  are  by  no 
means  light,  but  are  always  seemingly  harsh  and 
cruel,  and,  often,  apparently  beyond  human  endur- 
ance. Thus  it  is  that  generous  souls,  according  to 
a  great  Saint,  find  their  Mount  Thabor  on  Calvary's 
Height. 

This  sentence  condenses  a  world  of  thought.  It 
expresses  admirably  and  briefly  the  ineffable  delights 

(1)  Col.,  t,  24. 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  41 

which  generous  souls  experience  amid  their  manifold 
trials  and  tribulations.  For  the  soul  who  gives  him- 
self up  wholly  and  unreservedly  to  God,  receives  in 
recompense  God  Himself.  God  never  allows  Himself 
to  be  excelled  in  generosity  by  a  creature.  Moreover, 
is  not  He  the  very  origin  and  centre  of  all  our  felicity  ? 
The  cross  is  no  burden  to  the  courageous,  heroic  soul, 
for  generosity  gives  him  wings.  0  how  little,  indeed, 
he  really  loves  who  yet  loves  so  much!  "Thou  hast 
deceived  me,  0  my  God!  Thou  hast  deceived  me!" 
exclaimed  an  intrepid  soul.  "For  on  entering  Thy 
holy  service  I  beheld  only  the  cross  and  its  tribula- 
tions, and  lo!  I  have  tasted  but  holy  joys  and  sweet 
consolations ! ' ' 

"Worldlings,"  said  St.  Bernard,  "see,  indeed, 
our  cross,  but  they  fail  to  perceive  the  exquisite  per- 
fume it  exhales." 

We  may  search  the  broad  expanse  of  creation 
and  we  will  seek  in  vain  for  one  singe  soul,  who, 
though  groaning  under  the  crushing  weight  of  suf- 
fering and  misery,  would  be  willing,  after  having 
given  himself  generously  to  God,  to  exchange  places, 
even  for  a  day,  with  the  richest  man  on  earth.  Like 
the  serpent,  sin  possesses  the  power  of  transforming 
even  the  most  luscious  fruit  into  poison;  and  fervor, 
like  the  bee,  converts  the  most  bitter  liquids  into 
delicious  honey.  Therefore,  let  us  love  God  as  the 
Saints  did,  and  we,  too,  shall  be  happy  like  them. 

Doubtless,  Christian  teachers  encounter  many  ob- 
stacles in  teaching  and  directing  children.  They  ex- 
perience, perhaps,  great  annoyance  in  having  to  bear 
with  their  defects,  or  they  may  even  suffer  keen  dis- 


42      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

appointments  in  being  the  object  of  their  ingratitude. 
Withal,  Christian  educators  should  never  be  oblivious 
.of  the  immense  ransom  which  Jesus  Christ  paid  for 
the  world's  redemption,  for  the  expiation  of  their 
sins,  and  to  merit  heaven  for  them.  Did  our  Divine 
Master  suffer  discouragement  at  the  sight  of  the  sea 
of  humiliation  and  suffering  ? 

Behold  the  unspeakable  depth  of  sorrow  and  the 
overwhelming  ocean  of  sadness  which  inundated  His 
Soul  in  the  Garden  of  Olives!  Behold,  again,  the 
awful,  bitter  humiliations  and  opprobriums  heaped 
upon  Him  in  the  Pretorium  and  on  Calvary!  Con- 
template, likewise,  the  bewildering,  agonizing  bloody 
Sweat,  the  savagely  cruel  and  inhuman  Scourging, 
the  painful  and  afflicting  Crown  of  .Thorns,  and  the 
excruciating,  racking  torture  of  the  Crucifixion !  After 
considering  these  heart-rending  scenes  of  His  most 
dolorous  Passion,  can  Christian  teachers  still  have 
the  presumption,  or,  rather  the  temerity,  to  com- 
plain that  their  lot  is  too  painful,  too  difficult  ?  Oh ! 
how  far  inferior  are  they  yet  to  the  bold  courage 
of  Prophets,  to  the  intrepid  spirit  of  Apostles,  or 
to  the  heroic  constancy  of  Martyrs ! 

But  listen  to  the  graphic  account  St.  Paul  gives 
of  the  sufferings  endured  for  Christ's  sake  by  the 
early  Christians:  Others  were  racked  not  accepting 
deliverance,  that  they  might  find  a  better  resurrection. 
And  others  had  trials  of  mockeries  and  stripes,  more- 
over also  of  bands  and  prisons.  They  were  stoned, 
they  were  cut  asunder,  they  were  tempted,  they  were 
put  to  death  by  the  sivord,  they  wandered  about  in 
sheep-skins,  in  goat-skins,  being  in  want,  distressed, 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  43 

afflicted:  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy;  wan- 
dering in  the  deserts,  in  the  mountains,  and  in  dens, 

and  in  caverns  of  the  earth And 

therefore  we  also  having  so  great  a  cloud  of  ivitnesses 
over  our  head,  laying  aside  every  weight  and  sin  ivhich 
surrounds,  let  us  run  by  patience  to  the  fight  pro- 
posed to  us :  looking  on  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher 
of  faith,  who  having  joy  set  before  Him,  endured  the 
cross,  despising  the  shame,  now  sitteth  on  the  right  of 
the  Throne  of  God.  d> 

"Hethatloveth,"  Thomas  a  Kempis  writes,  "must 
willingly  embrace  all  that  is  hard  and  bitter  for  the 
sake  of  his  beloved,  and  never  suffer  himself  to  be 
turned  away  from  him  by  any  contrary  occurrences 
whatsoever."  (2) 

Now,  if  Christian  teachers  really  loved  Jesus 
Christ,  they  would,  after  the  heroic  example  of  the 
Apostles,  esteem  themselves  happy  in  being  account- 
ed worthy  to  suffer  for  His  sake.  Therefore,  instead 
of  complaining,  they  should  cry  out  with  the  intrepid 
St.  Francis  Xavier :  Yet  more,  0  Lord,  yet  more ! 

But  rejoice,  being  partakers  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  that  when  His  glory  shall  be  revealed,  you  may 
also  be  glad  with  exceeding  joy. (S) 

Labor  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  (V 

(1)  Heb.,  xi,  35-38;  xii,  1-2. 

(2)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  HI.,  ch.  v,  8. 

(3)  St.  Peter,  iv,  13.     (4)  II.  Tim.,  «,  S. 


44      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

IV. 

THE  TRUE  SECRET  OF  SUCCESS  IN  TEACHING. 

It  is  apparent  to  every  observer  of  human  activi- 
ties that  success  in  the  attainment  of  any  important 
undertaking  depends  chiefly  upon  the  individual  ef- 
forts exercised,  and  upon  the  extent  of  the  applica- 
tion summoned  to  the  work  and  its  varying  details. 
It  is  equally  obvious  that  in  proportion  to  the  diffi- 
culties encountered,  the  greater  should  be  the  at- 
tention given  to  the  nature  of  the  obstacles  presented 
as  well  as  to  the  means  to  be  adopted  to  achieve  suc- 
cess. There  is  no  denying  the  fact  that  the  personal 
element  is  a  powerful  motive  stimulating  to  action, 
and,  for  many,  it  is  the  secret,  which  accounts  for  the 
unparalleled  and  almost  superhuman  efforts  exerted 
in  the  accomplishment  of  their  object.  Moreover,  it  is 
also  true  that  the  higher  and  nobler  the  motive,  the 
more  untiring  and  unselfish  the  labor  and  its  conse- 
quent sacrifices.  Indeed,  what  motive-power  could 
excel  that  which  should  actuate  the  Christian  teach- 
er ?  Our  own  personal  experience  and  knowledge  have 
taught  us  the  wonderful  power  there  is  in  love.  Hence, 
the  reason  of  the  guiding  principle  in  teaching  is  to 
be.  found  in  this  significant  word:  LOVE  OF  DUTY. 
This  should  be,  therefore,  the  great  incentive,  the 
principle,  animating,  directing,  and  controlling  our 
actions  in  the  classroom.  This  constitutes  the  true  se- 
cret of  our  success  in  teaching. 

Bishop  Dupanloup  expresses  himself  very  forcibly 
on  the  secret  of  success  in  teaching.  "Duty,"  says 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  45 

he,  "is  very  exacting,  and  particularly  is  this  true 
when  it  is  most  difficult  of  performance.  For  duty 
must  be  loved,  otherwise  it  will  most  certainly  repel 
us.  Nay  more,  it  must  be  loved  above  everything  else 
and  for  its  own  sake.  It  demands,  furthermore,  that 
everything  should  be  sacrificed  at  its  shrine.  It  re- 
quires, moreover,  that  we  esteem  ourselves  as  naught, 
that  we  may  be  wholly  at  its  command.  In  a  word, 
it  emphatically  ordains  that  it  be  loved  as  we  love 
God  Himself.  There  is,  however,  nothing  incongru- 
ous in  this  prescription,  for  duty  rightly  considered 
is  the  Divine  Will  in  our  regard.  And  what  is  the 
Divine  Will  if  it  be  not  God  Himself.  Consequently, 
I  shall  not  hesitate,  neither  am  I  deceived,  in  positive- 
ly affirming- that  duty  ceases  to  be  a  duty  when  it  is 
no  longer  the  expression  of  God's  Will  for  us. 

"This  is,  therefore,  the  reason  that  duty  demands 
of  us  all  our  disinterestedness,  love,  and  zeal.  For, 
when  fidelity  to  duty  is  without  disinterestedness  and 
zeal,  or  the  heart  is  without  love,  then  it  is  quite  natur- 
al that  everything  becomes  frozen,  suffers,  and  dies. 
It  is  like  a  winter  sun:  light  is,  indeed,  present,  but 
heat,  life,  and  fruitfulness  are  absent.  Even  when 
I  say  light  is  there,  I  am  deceived,  for  it  is  a  pale 
moonlight,  which  is  altogether  inadequate. 

"In  my  long  career  as  an  educator,  I  have  occa- 
sionally met  some  teachers  who  were  given  to  their 
work,  but  it  was  only  through  a  sense  of  cold,  strict 
duty.  Naturally,  there  enters  into  the  work  a  mul- 
tiplicity of  little  things  necessary  to  its  success,  of 
which  they  never  dreamed.  For,  in  the  great  work 
of  education,  there  are  innumerable  details  that  must 


46      TIIE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

be  carried  out,  depending  not  so  much  on  knowledge, 
as  upon  the  intuition  of  each  teacher.  But  these  pro- 
fessors seemed  to  have  little  or  no  understanding 
of  them,  and  thus  they  inadvertently  succeeded  in  de- 
stroying what  they  should  have  built  up.  Love  alone 
has  the  power  to  understand  all,  as  well  as  to  divine, 
foresee,  correct,  and  remedy  all.  How  well  does  the 
mother  understand  her  duty,  because  love  animates 
and  controls  all  her  acts ! ' ' 

Doubtless,  the  ever  increasing  and  varying  de- 
tails of  the  educator's  profession,  though  not  of  strict 
obligation,  are,  nevertheless,  very  important,  since 
his  ultimate  success  depends  upon  them.  They  can 
not,  therefore,  be  ignored.  Love,  in  this  particular 
instance,  and  it  alone  can  determine  what  is  to  be 
done  under  given  circumstances,  especially  where 
knowledge  fails. 

' '  Put  your  whole  soul  into  your  work, ' '  as  Father 
Poulette  counsels.  "Strive  to  do,  not  merely  those 
things  which  would  reasonably  justify  your  strict 
obligations  or  satisfy  your  responsibility,  but  what- 
ever love  dictates  to  ameliorate,  animate,  quicken, 
purify,  and  ennoble  a  child's  tender  and  impres- 
sionable heart,  entrusted  to  your  fatherly  love  and 
keeping.  Your  intellect,  enlightened  as  it  will  be  by 
a  ray  of  vivifying  love,  will  the  more  readily  perceive 
itself  awakened  to  a  newer,  happier  world  of  ideas,  of 
love,  and  of  solicitude,  than  could  have  ever  been  sug- 
gested to  it,  had  it  been  left  to  its  own  lights.  Con- 
sequently, the  greater  your  affection  for  children,  the 
better  will  you  understand  what  you  should  do  for 
those  whom  you  love,  and  whom  love  alone  can 
teach." 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  47 

Therefore,  every  Christian  teacher  who  really  de- 
sires to  keep  alive  this  sacred  flame  in  his  soul,  or 
to  prevent  his  heart  from  being  parched  and  withered 
by  the  continuous  struggle  with  his  onerous  duties, 
should  attentively  consider  the  following  stimulating 
thoughts : 

"Love  is  an  excellent  thing,"  we  read  in  the  Fol- 
lowing of  Christ,  (*)  "a  great  good  indeed,  which 
alone  maketh  light  all  that  is  burdensome,  and  equally 
bears  all  that  is  unequal. 

' '  For  it  carries  a  burden  without  being  burdened, 
and  makes  all  that  which  is  bitter,  sweet  and  savory. 

"The  love  of  Jesus  is  noble  and  generous,  it  spurs 
us  on  to  do  great  things,  and  excites  us  to  desire  al- 
ways that  which  is  more  perfect. 

"Love  will  tend  upwards,  and  is  not  to  be  de- 
tained by  things  on  earth. 

"Love  will  be  at  liberty,  and  free  from  all  world- 
ly affection,  lest  its  interior  sight  be  hindered,  lest 
it  suffer  itself  to  be  entangled  with  any  temporal  in- 
terest, or  cast  low  by  losses. 

"Nothing  is  sweeter  than  love;  nothing  stronger, 
nothing  higher,  nothing  more  generous,  nothing  more 
pleasant,  nothing  fuller  or  better  in  heaven  or  earth; 
for  love  proceeds  from  God,  and  can  not  rest  but  in 
God,  above  all  things  created. 

"The  lover  flies,  runs,  and  rejoices;  he  is  free  and 
not  held. 

"He  gives  all  for  all,  and  has  all  in  all;  because 
he  rests  in  one  Sovereign  Good  above  all,  from  whom 
all  good  flows  and  proceeds. 

(1)  Book,  Hi,  Ch.  v. 


48      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"He  looks  not  at  the  gifts,  but  turns  himself  to 
the  giver,  above  all  good. 

"Love  often  knows  no  measure,  but  is  inflamed 
above  all  measure. 

"Love  feels  no  burden,  values  no  labors,  would 
willingly  do  more  than  it  can;  complains  not  of  im- 
possibilities, because  it  conceives  that  it  may  and 
can  do  all  things. 

"It  is  able,  therefore,  to  do  anything,  and  it  per- 
forms and  perfects  many  things,  where  he  that  loves 
not,  faints  and  lies  down. 

"Love  watches,  and  sleeping,  slumbers  not. 

"When  weary,  is  not  tired;  when  straightened,  is 
not  constrained;  when  frightened,  is  not  disturbed; 
but,  like  a  lively  flame,  and  a  torch  all  on  fire,  it 
mounts  upwards,  and  securely  passes  through  all 
opposition. 

"Whosoever  loveth,  knoweth  the  cry  of  his  voice. 

"A  loud  cry  in  the  ears  of  God,  is  the  ardent 
affection  of  the  soul,  which  saith,  0  my  God,  my  Love, 
Thou  art  all  mine,  and  I  am  all  Thine. 

"Give  increase  to  my  love,  that  I  may  learn  to 
taste,  with  the  interior  mouth  of  the  heart,  how 
sweet  it  is  to  love,  and  to  swim,  and  to  be  dissolved 
in  love. 

"Let  me  be  possessed  by  love,  going  above  my- 
self through  excess  of  fervor  and  ecstasy. 

"Let  me  sing  the  canticle  of  love,  let  me  follow 
Thee,  my  Beloved,  on  high ;  let  my  soul  lose  herself  in 
Thy  praises,  rejoicing  exceedingly  in  Thy  love. 

"Let  me  love  Thee  more  than  myself,  and  my- 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  49 

self  only  for  Thee,  who  truly  love  Thee,  as  the  law 
of  love  commands,  which  shines  forth  from  Thee. 

"Love  is  swift,  sincere,  pious,  pleasant,  and  de- 
lightful; strong,  patient,  faithful,  prudent,  long-suf- 
fering, courageous,  and  never  seeking  itself ;  for  where 
a  man  seeks  himself,  there  he  falls  from  love. 

"Love  is  circumspect,  humble  and  upright,  not 
soft,  nor  light,  not  intent  upon  vain  things ;  is  sober, 
chaste,  stable,  quiet,  and  keeps  a  guard  over  all  the 
senses. 

' '  Love  is  submissive  and  obedient  to  superiors ;  in 
its  own  eyes  mean  and  contemptible,  devout  and 
thankful  to  God,  always  turning  and  hoping  in  Him, 
even  then  when  it  tastes  not  the  relish  of  God's  sweet- 
ness, for  there  is  no  living  in  love  without  some  pain 
or  sorrow." 

This,  then  is  the  beautiful  Canticle  of  Love  of 
the  devout  Thomas  a  Kempis.  It  is,  assuredly,  emi- 
nently calculated  to  stimulate  our  love  to  greater  ac- 
tivity and  fruitfulness.  And  withal,  there  may  be 
found  some  teachers  who  may,  indeed,  be  charmed 
with  its  delightful,  captivating  melody,  but  who  will 
be  faint-hearted  in  following  its  sublime  teaching. 
Again,  there  may  be  others  who  will  find  it  hard  to 
understand,  and  who  will  declare  that ,  if  it  be  re- 
quisite to  love  to  such  an  extent  in  the  ministration 
of  education,  it  were  infinitely  better  never  to  at- 
tempt teaching  rather  than  incur  the  risk  of  failure. 

Now,  this  objection  is  rightly  stated,  providing, 

however,  that  these  teachers  are  not  called  by  God. 

If  He,  however,  selected  them,  He  will  undoubtedly 

endow  them  with  all  the  qualities  necessary,  or,  per- 

4 


50      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

haps,  He  has  already  bestowed  upon  them  this  gen- 
erous spirit  of  love.  Hence,  let  them  place  their 
confidence  in  Him,  and  work  with  a  will,  and  suc- 
cess shall  crown  their  feeble  efforts.  For  Divine 
Providence  acts  always  in  accordance  with  a  benefi- 
cent law,  which  is  manifested  with  even  more  strik- 
ing love  in  the  moral  order,  than  in  the  wonders  of 
the  material  creation.  "Whenever  God  makes  choice  of 
a  soul  for  some  special  work,  or  imposes  upon  him 
some  grave  responsibilities,  He  invariably  accompan- 
ies them  proportionately  with  a  more  intense  love. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  most  difficult  duties  will  become 
comparatively  easy,  and  will  be  accomplished  with- 
out any  apparent  effort.  To  the  knowledge  of  this 
principle  are  we  indebted  for  this  familiar  maxim 
of  St.  Augustine :  He  who  loves,  suffers  no  pain. 

The  wonderful  capabilities  of  the  human  heart 
afford  the  most  striking,  thrilling  exemplification  of 
this  admirable  law.  Now,  if  it  be  true  of  every  hu- 
man heart  generally,  then  most  undoubtedly  is  it 
specially  true  of  a  fond,  loving  mother's  heart.  For 
what  is  it  that  inspires  this  tender  heart  with  its 
intrepid  courage  and  almost  superhuman  energy? 
What  is  it  that  imparts  to  her  feeble,  delicate  consti- 
tution its  astonishing  strength  and  vigor,  its  heroic 
power  of  endurance?  LOVE.  Let  us  proclaim  then 
with  the  poet :  "0  spirit  of  love,  how  quick  and  fresh 
thouart!"'1' 

Hence,  the  Christian  teacher,  who  effectively  de- 
sires to  aid  parents,  by  assuming  the  serious  respon- 


(1)  Shakespeare,  Twelfth  Night,  Act  I. 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE".  51 

sibility  of  their  children's  education,  must  love  those 
children  with  a  parent's  love. 

Now,  this  burden  is  considerably  lighter  than  we 
would  naturally  suppose  it  to  be.  For  there  is  in 
every  human  breast  a  glowing  hearth,  in  which  the 
flame  of  devotedness  and  love  is  quickly  enkindled, 
and  which  is  admirably  sustained  by  the  breath  of  a 
divine  vocation  and  by  the  graces  which  will  always 
accompany  it.  Assuredly,  if  Christian  teachers  are 
faithful  to  the  call  which  they  have  already  heeded, 
God  will,  in  His  own  good  time  and  pleasure,  favor 
them  with  this  spirit  of  love,  thus  making  their  bur- 
den light  and  sweet.  He  will,  moreover,  bestow  His 
choicest  blessings  upon  them,  because  of  their  cour- 
ageous fidelity  to  the  duties  which  He  has  imposed 
upon  them.  Ah!  then,  indeed,  will  they  have  cause 
to  wonder  at  the  tender,  powerful  love  which  will 
take  possession  of  their  hearts !  They  will  also  per- 
ceive the  power  of  a  new  light  which  shall  henceforth 
illumine  their  path.  They  will,  moreover,  experience 
a  kind  of  supernatural  joy,  sweetness,  strength,  and 
a  quickening  of  action,  whose  secret  has  hitherto  been 
to  them  a  mystery,  an  unsolved  enigma,  Furthermore, 
experience  testifies  that  many  young  teachers  who  at 
first  had  seriously  entertained  a  doubt  of  ever  attain- 
ing success  in  their  art,  but  who  had,  nevertheless,  de- 
voted themselves  with  a  good  will  and  strong  de- 
termination to  their  difficult  task,  from  an  inner  con- 
viction of  having  been  called  to  it  by  Providence,  in 
due  time  became  distinguished  men  as  well  as  efficient 
professors. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  truth  with  which  young 


52      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

teachers  should  be  more  deeply  penetrated  than  that 
of  the  wonderful  utility  and  power  of  devotedness 
and  love.  For  whatever  is  done  with  devotedness, 
is  done  well.  To  those  who  love,  all  difficulties  van- 
ish, for  they  act  with  a  bold,  yet  wise  courage  and 
heroic  constancy,  and  the  greater  the  hardships  they 
have  to  withstand  the  more  consolation  do  they 
draw  from  their  work.  Moreover,  they  are  fully  cog- 
nizant that  difficulties  tend  to  form  character,  to 
strengthen  the  will,  and  thereby  ennoble  the  whole 
man. 

It  is,  indeed,  a  refreshing,  consoling  thought  to 
know  that  devotedness,  everywhere  and  always,  reaps 
a  hundredfold,  not  only  for  what  it  does,  but  also  for 
what  it  gives.  It  seems  to  multiply  our  powers  and 
capabilities  for  doing,  and  adds  perceptibly  to  our 
mental  resources.  Nay  more,  it  seemingly  imparts 
talents  which  were  previously  wanting  to  the  in- 
tellect, and  develops  what  it  did  not  seem  formerly 
to  possess.  Truly,  love  transforms,  elevates,  ennobles, 
and  enlightens.  It  teaches  everything.  The  affection 
which  true  educators  have  for  little  children,  the 
study  which  they  devote  to  their  sweet,  though  lively, 
nature,  open  to  their  view  a  most  extended  horizon  of 
human  nature,  reveal  undreamed  of  secrets,  and, 
thereby,  tend  immeasurably  to  their  own  moral  and 
intellectual  development. 

Again,  "while  cold-hearted  pedagogues  are 
learnedly  elucidating  sterile  theories,  relative  to  cer- 
tain deep  questions  whose  merest  elements  they  them- 
selves have  failed  to  understand,  the  truly  Christian 
teacher,"  writes  Father  Poulette,  "finds  his  whole 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  53 

system  established  and  explained,  his  doctrine  form- 
ulated, and  all  his  duties  clearly  traced  out  for  him, 
and  all  contained  in  this  one  pregnant  word :  LOVE. 
.  .  .  .  And  when  he  seeks  before  God  what 
virtues  he  should  cultivate  to  make  himself  worthy  of 
his  high  mission,  he  ever  and  anon  hears  the  same 
sweet,  yet  penetrating,  voice,  coming  from  the  in- 
nermost sanctuary  of  his  soul,  saying :  LOVE.  .  .  . 
.  .  .  Yes,  love  your  pupils,  struggle  unceasingly 
against  the  feelings  of  weariness,  disgust,  and  indif- 
ference which  are  aroused  at  the  sight  of  their  faults 
and  defects,  without,  however,  remaining  blind  to 
them.  To  counteract  such  unpleasant  feelings,  re- 
flect rather  upon  the  charming  qualities  which  your 
pupils  possess.  Observe,  for  instance,  the  sweet  in- 
nocence beaming  in  their  countenances,  the  charm  and 
simplicity  of  their  avowals,  the  sincerity  of  their  re- 
pentance, however  evanescent,  the  natural  goodness 
of  their  resolutions,  though  soon  forgotten,  an$  the 
generosity  of  their  efforts,  although  lacking  in  per- 
serverance.  Note,  likewise,  their  excellent  dispositions 
in  whatever  good  they  do  and  the  evil  they  avoid,  and, 
no  matter,  what  they  may  be  and  whatever  else  they 
may  do,  remember  that  you  must  love  them." 
Reflect  on  these  beautiful  words  of  the  poet : 

"Be  still,  sad  heart !  and  cease  repining ; 
Behind   the   clouds   is  the   sun   still   shining ; 
Thy  fate  is  the  common  fate  of  all. 
Into  each  life  some  rain  must  fall. 

Some  days  must  be  dark  and  dreary."  (1) 


(1)  Longfellow. 


54      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

V. 

HELPFUL  THOUGHTS  IN  TRIALS. 

There  are  moments  when  frail  nature  is  so 
crushed  under  the  heavy  burden  of  its  sorrows,  that 
consecutive  thinking  is  seemingly  out  of  question. 
Yes,  when 

"The  hopes  of  youth  fall  thick  in  the  blast 
And  the  days  are  dark  and  dreary," 

that  is  the  time  when  young  Christian  teachers  need 
a  kind,  helping  hand  to  guide  them  through  bewild- 
ering labyrinths  of  gloom  and  trial.  Hence,  the  fol- 
lowing helpful  thoughts  are  suggested : 

I.— OUR  OWN  SINS.— God  willingly  accepts,  in 
expiation  of  our  many  sins,  the  sufferings  which  we 
may  have  to  endure  in  the  accomplishment  of  our 
duty.  Can  we  then  consider  these  sufferings  too  se- 
vere or  overwhelming,  we  who,  perhaps,  may  have 
often  richly  deserved  hell? 

II.— THE  EXAMPLE  OF  THE  SAINTS.— What  have 
they  not  done  for  Jesus  Christ  ?  With  what  courage, 
resignation,  and  joy  have  they  not  endured  trials  and 
crosses,  aye,  a  thousand  times  more  cruel  and  crushing 
than  any  we  may  have  to  withstand  or  support? 
What  are  our  sufferings  and  labors  compared  to  those 
of  the  Apostles,  Martyrs,  and  Missionaries?  Let  us 
reflect  also  upon  the  heroic  patience  and  constancy 
of  St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle  and  his  first  com- 
panions. Surely  we  will  not  have  the  presumption 
to  claim  that  our  sufferings  are  at  all  equal  to  theirs, 
or  that  they  can  even  approach  them.  Take,  my 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  55 

brethren,  St.  James  tells  us,  for  an  example  of  suf- 
fering evil,  of  labor  and  patience,  the  prophets,  who 
spoke  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. (1) 

III.— THE  FRUIT  OF  OUR  LABORS.— If  we  fulfill 
the  duties  of  our  sublime  calling  in  the  proper  spirit, 
what  inestimable  good  may  we  not  accomplish !  How 
many  sins  will  we  not  have  prevented!  How  many 
virtues  will  we  not  have  cultivated  and  caused  to 
be  practised !  How  many  souls  will  we  not  have 
helped  to  save!  Our  work  is,  indeed,  laborious,  but 
what  benefits  are  conferred  on  our  pupils,  on  their 
families,  on  society,  and  even  on  the  Church!  0 
how  agreeable  is  our  work  to  God,  and  how  beneficial 
to  ourselves! 

IV.— THE  PROMISED  RECOMPENSE.— Oh!  what  a 
beautiful  and  resplendent  crown  God  has  prepared  for 
those  Christian  teachers,  who  devote  their  lives,  in- 
spiring little  children  with  a  dread  for  sin  and  a 
love  for  virtue !  They  that  instruct  many  to  justice, 
we  read  in  Daniel,  shall  shine  as  stars  for  all  eter- 
nity. <*> 

If  the  responsibility  weighs  heavily  upon  us,  or 
if  tribulations  and  afflictions  overwhelm  us,  and  if 
trials  oppress  us,  then,  let  the  promised  recompense 
strengthen  and  re-animate  our  failing  courage. 

Oh !  if  we  could  but  see  the  heavens  open,  like  St. 
Stephen,  and  if  it  were  given  us  to  behold  the  crown 
which  Jesus  is  preparing  for  us,  then,  indeed,  would 
we  complain  that  our  cross  was  not  heavy  enough! 
In  the  ardor  of  our  soul  we  would  ask  our  Lord  to 
increase  our  sufferings  that,  like  the  saints,  we  could 

(1)  c.,  v,  10.     (2)  c.,  xii,  3. 


56       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

increase  the  splendor  of  our  heavenly  crown.  Yes,  far 
from  seeking  and  asking  for  consolation  and  rest,  we 
would  exclaim  with  the  heroic  St.  Theresa:  Lord,  to 
suffer  or  die,  to  suffer  or  die! 


VI. 

SALUTARY  COUNSELS  OR  ANTIDOTES  TO  DISCOURAGEMENT. 

1.  Let  teachers  look  upon  their  crosses  in  the 
sacred  wounds  of  Jesus. 

2.  Let   them  join   the   bitterness  of  their   suf- 
ferings to  those  of  His  Chalice. 

3.  Let  them  bear  well  in  mind  that  our  Divine 
Saviour  takes  a  part  in  all  their  afflictions,  and,  in 
a  manner,  suffers  with  them.     Yes,  let  them  not 
doubt  it,  for  He  is  constantly  with  them,  and  He 
sees  all  they  are  doing  for  love  of  Him. 

4.  According  to  His  promise,  He  will  consider 
as  done  to  Himself  whatever  they  shall  do  for  the 
dear  little  ones  confided  to  their  loving  care. 

5.  In  all  their  tribulations,  let  teachers  have  re- 
course to  prayer.    For  He  who  permits  the  trial  for 
their  own  good,  will  also  give  them  the  strength  to 
support  it. 

6.  Let  teachers  remember  that  they  are  doing 
His  work,  and  can  they  for  a  moment  suppose  that 
He  will  refuse  them  the  necessary  aid  and  strength? 

7.  Let  them  call  Mary,  the  Mother  of  the  Af- 
flicted, to  their  assistance,  and  she  will  assuredly  ob- 
tain for  them  courage  and  consolation, 

8.  Let  them  also  invoke  St.  John  Baptist  de  la 


TROUBLE  IN  CLASS  IS  BEYOND  ENDURANCE.  57 

Salle  and  all  the  saints  who  have  sanctified  them- 
selves while  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  teaching. 

9.  Let  them  frequently  partake  of  the  Bread  of 
the  Strong,  and  let  them  rest  assured  that  no  trial 
will  overwhelm  them. 

10.  In  moments  of  trial,  let  each  of  them  say 
from  the  depths  of  his  heart:    "0  my  God,  I  accept 
whatever  shall  be  agreeable  to  Thee,  when  and  as 

much  as  Thou  wilt ! 0  Adorable  Heart 

of  Jesus!  I  offer  Thee  all  my  works  and  sufferings 

in  union  with  Thy  infinite  merits ! May 

the  most  Just,  the  most  Holy,  and  the  most  Adorable 
Will  of  God  be  done  in  all  things,  and  may  it  be 
praised  and  glorified  for  ever  and  ever.    Amen. ' ' 

If  the  Christian  teacher  walk  in  the  way  thus 
traced  out  for  him,  God  will  bless  him;  he  will,  in 
the  language  of  St.  Paul,  exceedingly  abound  with 
joy  in  all  our  tribulations, (1)  and  a  glorious  reward 
will  be  his  portion  forever. 

"He  who  knows  how  to  suffer,"  says  the  Following 
of  Christ, ' '  is  conqueror  of  himself,  lord  of  the  world, 
a  friend  of  Christ,  and  an  heir  of  heaven."  (2> 

Tl)  II-  Cor.,  vii,  4.     (2)  Book  II.,  Ch.  Ill,  3. 


58       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


FOURTH  OBJECTION. 

TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT  BY  THE  CAKE 
BESTOWED  UPON   THEM   IS  DISCOURAGING. 

"Who  does  the  best  his  circumstance  allows, 

Does  well,  acts  nobly — angels  could  do  no  more." — Young. 

The  future  is  indeed  a  very  intricate  problem.  All 
that  a  finite  intellect  can  do  in  relation  to  future 
events  is  to  speculate  with  a  greater  or  less  degree  of 
probability.  Experience  teaches  the  futility  of  even 
the  best  human  calculations.  Investigate  the  vast 
field  of  science  and  note  carefully  how  much  of  the 
purely  speculative  element  enters  into  its  theories.  It 
is  at  best  only  problematical.  Thus  it  is  in  every  de- 
partment of  human  knowledge,  for  absolute  certainty 
is  beyond  its  claim.  Hence,  why  speculate  about  the 
certain  or  uncertain  results  which  may  be  obtained 
in  the  ministry  of  teaching?  Can  we  not  perceive 
that  we  are  bordering  on  a  domain  which  eludes 
the  most  precise  investigations  of  science?  For  it 
is  not  possible  to  compare  moral,  with  physical 
science.  The  data  are  altogether  different,  hence 
no  common  criterion  can  safely  be  adopted  to  measure 
or  compare  results.  Besides,  we  are  dealing  with 
one  of  the  most  perplexing  of  psychological  questions, 
one  which  presents  untold  difficulties  even  to  the 
keenest  moralist  and  philosopher.  These  words  of 
the  poet  convey  a  deep  meaning  to  the  young  teacher : 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  59 

"O  that  a  man  might  know 
The  end  of  this  day's  business,  ere  it  come."  (1) 

And  now,  what  is  the  practical  point  of  view? 
Suppose  that  we  compare  the  class  to  a  field.  Here 
the  husbandman  who  has  expectations  of  gathering 
an  abundant  harvest,  wisely  sets  to  work,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  every  available  means  to  ensure  it.  When 
the  soil  is  properly  prepared,  he  sows  the  seed,  good 
or  bad,  without  wasting  any  of  his  precious  time 
in  vain  speculations,  as  to  whether  or  not  this  or 
that  seed  will  be  productive.  He  scatters  with  a 
liberal  hand,  for,  from  his  past  experience,  he  is 
perfectly  well  aware  that  if  some  seed  will  remain 
sterile,  there  will  always  be  a  large  proportion  of 
it  that  will  undoubtedly  fructify.  Personally  he  has 
done  all  that  could  reasonably  be  expected,  and,  con- 
sequently, he  does  not  worry  about  results.  We  ought 
diligently  to  study  our  plans  and  carefully  to  survey 
our  field  of  action.  Shakespeare  has  divined  this  im- 
portant secret  of  success,  when  he  says: 

"Now,  whether  it  be  some  craven  scruple 

Of  thinking  too  precisely  on  the  event, — 

A  thought,  which,  quarter'd,  hath  but  one  part  wisdom. 

And,  ever,  three  parts  coward, — I  do  not  know 

While  yet  I  live  to  say. — This  thing's  to  do."  (2) 

Many  in  following  this  advice  of  the  poet  have 
attained  success  and  eminence  in  spite  of  the  greatest 
obstacles.  Ancient  History  tells  us  that  Demosthenes 
was  forced  to  contend  with  every  defect  which  could 
beset  one  who  strove  for  oratorical  fame.  How  he 
rose  superior  to  all  these  hindrances,  how  he  swept 


(1)  Shakespeare,  Julius  Caesar,  Act  V. 

(2)  Hamlet,  Act  IV. 


60      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED: 

away  all  barriers  that  stood  in  his  way,  how  he  became 
the  illustrious  orator,  and  how  his  persuasive  gift 
of  speech  alone  checked  the  ambitious  plans  of  Philip 
of  Macedon,  all  this  is  too  well  known  to  call  for 
rehearsing.  In  imitation  of  this  dauntless  hero  of  old, 
the  Christian  teacher  will  lay  hold  of  his  opportuni- 
ties. Putting  aside  all  discouraging  thoughts,  he 
will  busy  himself  with  the  present  only,  and  leave 
the  future  to  God.  Our  recompense  besides  will 
principally  depend  upon  our  labor  and  the  purity 
of  our  intention,  rather  than  upon  results  obtained. 
What  more  natural,  than  to  meet  pupils  who  will  not 
profit  by  our  instructions.  This  truth  is  as  old  as 
man  himself.  Our  individual  experience  is  but  an 
additional  confirmation  of  the  fact. 

The  Christian  teacher  who  is  zealously  striving 
to  save  a  class,  and  succeeds  in  saving  one  child  only, 
should  be  content.  For  is  not  a  single  soul  of  greater 
value  than  the  whole  material  universe? 

"We  may  also  draw  a  salutary  lesson  from  the 
action  of  a  humane,  generous  man  on  witnessing  a 
shipwreck.  Instantly  the  one  thought  of  saving  the 
ship 's  crew  possesses  his  whole  soul.  He  acts.  There 
is  no  time  for  speculation.  Procrastination  here  would 
mean  death.  Despite  the  raging  sea,  he  casts  him- 
self upon  the  angry  waves  to  go  to  the  rescue.  He 
struggles  bravely,  heroically.  A  thousand  dangers 
oppose  his  generous  efforts,  but  instead  of  being  dis- 
couraged, he  is  stimulated  to  greater  exertions  to  at- 
tain his  object.  Withal,  he  rescues  but  one  and  only 
one  of  the  crew  from  a  cold  watery  grave.  In  his 
great  joy,  he  is  unmindful  of  all  the  dangers  he  risked 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.          61 

and  the  hardships  endured  in  saving  this  one  man. 
He  is  grieved  that  so  many  lives  have  been  lost,  but 
overjoyed  that  he  has  been  able  to  save  one.  So  with 
the  Christian  teacher;  he  should  consider  his  efforts 
well  repaid,  if  only  one  of  those  whom  he  instructs, 
profits  by  his  labors. 

A  teacher  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  the  cap- 
rices of  human  nature,  readily  understands  that  all 
pupils  will  not  remain  good  and  virtuous.  Conse- 
quently, if  several  children  of  a  class,  whom  he  had 
carefully  taught  to  know,  love,  and  serve  God,  should 
unhappily  be  seduced  by  evil  companions  or  ensnared 
by  the  impetuosity  of  their  passions,  he  should  not, 
on  that  account,  become  disheartened.  A  crisis  will 
come  in  their  lives  when  these  erring  youths,  owing 
to  solid  instruction,  fervent  prayers,  and  the  paternal 
kindness  and  solicitude  which  he  had  lavished  upon 
them,  will  return,  to  the  path  of  virtue,  peace,  and 
happiness. 

The  following  instance  serves  as  an  excellent  il- 
lustration of  the  point  in  question : 

Shortly  after  the  dark,  terrible  days  of  the  French 
Revolution  in  1793,  when  the  Church  of  France  had 
hardly  risen  from  her  ruins,  there  lay  dying,  in  one 
of  the  hospitals,  a  brave  old  soldier  who  had  fought 
in  the  army  of  the  Republic.  To  speak  of  confession 
in  those  evil  days  to  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution  was 
deemed  rather  hazardous,  for  religion  had  been  re- 
garded by  many  as  a  myth. 

Fortunately  there  was  one  who  was  possessed  of 
more  moral  courage  than  his  companions  and  whom 
the  religion  which  he  had  practised  in  his  youth  and 


62      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

which  he  still  loved,  inspired  with  a  deep  sympathy 
for  the  dying  man.  This  one  ventured  to  say  to  him : 
"My  brave  friend,  the  moment  when  you  are  about 
to  appear  in  the  grand  final  review  before  God  is 
rapidly  approaching:  would  you  not  be  better  pre- 
pared for  this  last  inspection  by  burnishing  your 
arms  by  a  good  confession  ? ' ' 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  dying  hero,  "I  shall 
gladly  avail  myself  of  your  suggestion  on  condition 
that  you  call  in  an  old,  experienced  priest." 

Delighted  to  be  of  service  to  his  companion  in 
arms  he  went  quickly  in  search  of  a  venerable  clergy- 
man, a  confessor  of  the  faith,  who  had  escaped  the 
guillotine.  The  worthy  ecclesiastic  obeyed  the  sum- 
'mons  with  alacrity,  and  approached  the  bedside  of 
the  dying  soldier,  offering  to  prepare  him  for  con- 
fession. 

"That  is  altogether  needless,  Reverend  Father," 
said  the  brave  soldier.  "I  will  only  request  that  you 
patiently  hear  my  confession,  and  I  think  that  I  will 
satisfactorily  comply  with  the  prescribed  conditions. ' ' 

The  old  hero  who  had  not  flinched  from  duty  amid 
blood  and  carnage,  nobly  acquitted  himself  of  his 
last  duty  on  earth.  Nothing  had  escaped  his  mem- 
ory, even  regarding  the  number  and  circumstances 
of  his  offenses,  so  exact  was  he. 

Surprised  to  hear  the  old  soldier  go  through 
the  confession  with  such  ease  and  excellent  disposi- 
tions, particularly  as  he  had  not  approached  the 
sacraments  since  his  childhood,  the  venerable  priest 
could  not  refrain  from  expressing  his  astonishment. 

"There  is  really  nothing  wonderful  in  that,  Rever- 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.          6S 

end  Father, ' '  answered  the  dying  man ;  "  I  am  an  old 
pupil  of  the  Christian  Brothers.  They  taught  me 
so  well  and  thoroughly  how  to  approach  the  sac- 
raments, and  so  indelibly  was  their  teaching  impressed 
upon  my  mind,  that  I  have  never  forgotten  it." 

Thus  disposed  the  brave  man  received  the  last 
sacraments  and  died  a  holy  death,,  the  worthy  fruit 
of  the  good  education  he  got  in  the  Christian  School. 

The  good  priest,  struck  by  the  enlightened  faith 
of  the  old  hero,  immediately  made  inquiries,  as  to 
whether  those  Brothers  had  yet  returned  to  France. 
After  much  searching,  he  was  at  last  informed  that 
the  Brothers  whom  he  sought,  were  living  in  Lyons 
and  teaching  a  school  under  the  protection  of  Cardi- 
nal Fesch.  He  hastened  thither,  where  he  met  Brother 
Frumence,  the  Vicar  General  of  the  Institute,  and 
so"  earnest  was  his  pleading  with  him,  that  he  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  three  Brothers  to  open  a  school 
in  his  Parish.  The  school  has  since  flourished,  and 
has  been  productive  of  much  good. 

Little  did  the  religious  teacher  who 'taught  this 
hero  in  childhood,  ever  dream  what  precious  fruit 
his  lessons  would  bear,  after  having  been  dormant  for 
so  many  years.  Little  do  we  know  the  good  we  are 
doing,  but  the  good  is  no  less  real.  God  not  unfre- 
quently  hides  from  us  the  results  of  our  labors  that 
He  may  exercise  our  humility  and  test  our  faith. 

There  can  be  no  possible  doubt  that  many  chil- 
dren do  not  profit  by  our  instruction,  but  there  is  also 
the  certainty  that  there  are  many  who  do  benefit  and 
live  in  accordance  with  our  teaching.  Others  again 
may  be  found  who,  while  not  possessing  the  moral 


64      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED.  ' 

courage  to  lead  Christian  lives,  are  nevertheless  re- 
strained from  the  commission  of  many  crimes,  be- 
cause of  the  excellent  lessons  they  had  received  in 
childhood  days.  But,  alas,  what  becomes  of  those 
unhappy  children  who  have  not  received  a  Christian 
education  ? 

Scenes  taken  from  actual  life  are  generally  apt 
to  make  a  deeper  impression  on  the  mind  than 
lengthy  arguments,  though  well  and  pointedly  chosen 
and  proved.  The  result  of  a  training  from  which, 
the  religious  element  was  entirely  eliminated,  is  ap- 
parent in  the  incident  which  we  will  now  relate. 

There  lived  in  a  certain  village,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Paris,  an  aged  married  couple  who  were  freethinkers, 
and  who  had  been  to  their  only  son  a  living  example 
of  practical  atheism. 

The  young  man  had  attained  the  critical  period 
of  his  adolescence,  the  period  of  awakened  passions. 
He  saw  no  reason  why  he  should  govern  and  restrain 
them,  and,  naturally,  indoctrinated  as  he  had  been 
in  the  pernicious  principles  of  atheism,  he  allowed 
them  full  sway.  For  atheism  is  destructive  of  all 
morality,  therefore  of  all  responsibility.  Being  anx- 
ious that  their  son  should  figure  and  shine  in  society, 
the  parents  introduced  him  into  the  gayeties  of  the 
fast  Parisian  world,  thinking  that  thereby  their  only 
pride  and  hope  would  speedily  gain  recognition,  dis- 
tinction, and  fame.  The  young  man,  however,  no 
sooner  found  himself  in  the  fashionable  whirl  of  a 
fastidious  society,  than  he  abandoned  himself  to  its 
sensual  pleasures  with  the  freedom  and  excess  that 
always  characterize  those  who  have  no  other  and 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  65 

higher  guiding  principles  than  their  animal  instincts. 
To  keep  apace  with  his  young  libertine  associates,  he 
became  a  spendthrift,  and,  as  it  generally  happens, 
contracted  heavy  debts  to  gratify  his  rounds  of 
pleasure.  Conscience,  under  such  circumstances,  is 
deadened,  and  remorse  is  cast  to  the  winds.  Gratifi- 
cation of  passion  becomes  the  sole  law  and  sacrificial 
altar,  for  morality  has  long  since  lost  its  controlling 
influence. 

One  evening,  while  the  aged  couple  were  quietly 
sitting  before  their  glowing  hearth,  discussing  the 
gravity  of  their  family  affairs,  the  son  burst  sud- 
denly in  upon  them  and  in  loud,  angry  words  demand- 
ed money.  They  looked  kindly  and  beseechingly  at 
their  idol,  and  mildly  answered  that  they  had  al- 
ready divested  themselves  of  their  possessions;  ruin 
was  at  their  door,  for  every  article  of  value  in  the 
house  had  been  sold  to  satisfy  his  repeated  demands 
upon  them,  and  that  now  they  were  utterly  power- 
less to  honor  his  request. 

Thereupon  the  miserable  young  man,  instead  of 
being  seized  with  remorse  for  having  brought  dis- 
grace and  ruin  upon  his  house  and  parents,  was  fren- 
zied by  his  ungovernable  passions,  and  raising  his 
heavy  walking  cane,  dealt  a  murderous  blow  to  the 
authors  of  his  life. 

Both  fell  wounded  and  bleeding  at  the  feet  of 
the  insatiable  ingrate,  crying  out  with  pitying  ac- 
cents: "Spare  us,  spare  us,  for  the  love  of  God." 
But  the  parricide  sneeringly  replied:  "There  is  no 
God." 

The  unfortunate  parents  were  compelled  to  taste 
5 


66       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

the  bitter  fruit  of  the  irreligious  training  they  had 
given  to  their  proud  heir.  Reason  became  his  stand- 
ard, and  passion  his  shrine. 

What  countless  and  enormous  crimes  are  pre- 
vented by  a  good  Christian  education!  To  prevent 
even  one  such  crime  as  that  just  related,  we  should 
be  willing  to  sacrifice  a  thousand  lives. 


I. 


A  COURAGEOUS  AND  PERSEVERING  ZEAL  EFFECTS  A  HAPPY 

TRANSFORMATION    OF   THE    CHILD'S   DEFECTIVE 

CHARACTER. 

To  ignore  the  difficulties  that  confront  young 
teachers  in  transforming  a  wayward  child's  habits, 
would  certainly  be  to  lack  appreciation  of  the  great 
work  of  Christian  education.  Defects  of  a  physical 
nature  present  frequently  less  difficulty  than  those 
pertaining  to  the  moral  character.  It  is  precisely  here 
that  the  tact  and  ability  of  true  Christian  educators 
are  thoroughly  exercised.  It  is  here  also  that  they 
can  display  their  knowledge  of  human  nature.  To 
know  what  to  do,  when  and  how  to  do  it,  belongs  only 
to  years  of  varied  experience,  seasoned  with  a  perse- 
vering, undaunted,  and  enlightened  zeal  that  is  ever 
willing  to  work,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  until 
its  end  is  attained. 

Probably,  the  placing  before  the  young  teacher  the 
method  and  experience  of  a  man  who  spent  many 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  6? 

years  among  children,  may  prove  of  greater  prac- 
tical value  than  any  lengthened  discourse  or  analy- 
tical arguments.  Perhaps  no  better  illustration  can 
be  given  than  the  eminently  useful  method  which 
Bishop  Dupanloup  explains  in  his  Treatise  on  Edu- 
cation. 

"What  incalculable  labor  and  fatigue  fall  to 
the  lot  of  a  teacher  who  earnestly  strives  to  transform 
the  character  of  children!  That  he  must  necessarily 
resort  to  repressive  measures  in  his  dealings  with 
them  is  quite  evident;  but  this  restraint  should  also 
be  of  a  gentle,  persuasive,  reasonable,  and  Christian 
character.  Moreover,  this  method  of  subduing  should 
preclude  all  corporal  punishment. 

"To  have  recourse  to  rude  violence  and  physical 
force  is  perhaps  easy  of  accomplishment ;  but  it  tends 
to  ruin  rather  than  to  save.  The  educator  should 
teach  children  how  to  become  masters  of  themselves. 
While  this  is  the  only  proper  and  decisive  method, 
I  will,  by  no  means,  deny  the  great  difficulty  of  its 
attainment.  It  is  the  evangelical  compelle  intrare, 
that  is,  their  transformation  should  begin  with  them- 
selves and  from  within.  To  know  how  to  render 
it  conducive  toward  good,  is  of  paramount  import- 
ance. Indeed,  it  is  most  essential  that  persuasion  be 
employed  to  bring  even  the  most  intractable  pupils 
to  terms,  and  I  will  affirm  that  I  know  of  no  more 
laborious  task  in  the  ministry  of  teaching.  Conse- 
quently, to  succeed  the  teacher  must  pursue  an  un- 
relenting course  of  kindness  and  tenderness,  united 
with  a  firm,  yet  gentle,  severity. 

"From  the  moment  a  child  is  noticed  to  deviate 


68       TIIE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

from  moral  rectitude,  he  should  be  subjected  to  the 
vigilant  eye  and  strict  supervision  of  the  teacher. 
'Then,  also,  it  becomes  necessary  that  he  be  constant- 
ly warned  and  exhorted,  reproved  and  encouraged, 
everywhere  and  by  every  one,  but  with  such  prudence 
as  not  to  excite  the  suspicion  that  he  is  particularly 
followed,  and  without  causing  him  undue  annoyance. 
Personally,  I  never,  on  such  occasions,  ceased  nor 
relented  my  vigilance.  To  attain  my  object,  I  de- 
voted thereto  my  time,  and  much  of  it.  I  rallied  to  my 
aid  every  one  in  the  Institution:  the  professors,  the 
confessor,  the  best  pupils,  those  of  gentle  and  en- 
gaging manners,  and  even  the  parents.  Naturally,  as 
Rector  of  the  College,  the  greatest  share  in  the  trans- 
formation of  the  child  devolved  upon  me,  and  I  or- 
dinarily carried  my  point  and  won  the  victory.  Only 
at  this  price  can  souls  be  gained. 

"Ah!  St.  Paul  has  excellent  cause  for  saying: 
My  little  children,  of  ivliom  I  am  in  labor  again,  until 
Christ  be  formed  in  you.  <1)  It  is  truly  a  labor  which 
must  be  accompanied  by  tears  and  suffering. 

"On  such  critical  occasions,  I  would  speak  to  the 
child  with  great  kindness,  even  tenderness,  but,  like- 
wise, with  all  becoming  seriousness.  I  spoke  out  my 
mind  freely,  then  laid  down  the  law  with  precision, 
and  revealed  to  him  my  motives,  namely,  the  sacred 
interests  of  the  Institution,  dwelling  also  upon  his  in- 
dividual good.  I  was  exceedingly  particular  to  place 
before  him  these  matters  in  clearest  light,  and,  then, 
after  having  invoked  God's  blessing  upon  him,  I  ad- 
mitted him  and  introduced  him  to  the  professors  and 

(1)  Gal.  iv,  19. 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  69 

students.  Not  ^infrequently  did  it  happen  that  chil- 
dren, of  whom  I  had  received  the  most  detrimental  re- 
ports, and  who  had  a  reputation  for  depravity  and 
incorrigibleness,  turned  over  an  entirely  new  leaf  and 
became  good  and  virtuous.  Despite  the  fears  which 
had  taken  possession  of  me  concerning  their  reforma- 
tion of  character,  I  was  often  agreeably  astonished  to 
perceive  all  the  serious  faults  and  defects  vanish  in 
due  course  of  time,  so  that  even  the  very  traces  of 
their  former  vices  had  been  wholly  obliterated. 

' '  I  have  still  a  very  vivid  recollection  of  one  strik- 
ing instance  of  a  pupil  whose  parents  begged  and  en- 
treated me  to  grant  them  the  special  privilege  of  ad- 
mitting him  into  the  College.  They  candidly  ac- 
knowledged that  they  had  exhausted  all  their  re- 
sources and  were  now  in  a  sad  dilemma  as  to  what 
course  to  pursue,  for  the  boy  had  gotten  wholly  be- 
yond their  control.  Before  giving  them  any  decision, 
however,  I  determined  to  examine  the  boy,  and  I  will 
admit  that  I  was  favorably  impressed  with  him.  I 
perceived  that  he  had  splendid  resources  of  mind,  and, 
at  bottom,  possessed  a  character  of  great  possibilities, 
if  it  were  properly  developed;  but,  unfortunately, 
until  then,  it  had  been  turned  altogether  in  a  wrong 
direction. 

' '  After  my  usual  conversation  with  the  new  pupil, 
I  added  the  following  remark  which  generally  proved 
very  salutary  and  effectual:  'My  dear  child,  your 
faults  and  defects  up  to  the  present  moment  have  been 
a  constant  source  of  annoyance  and  disappointment  to 
your  dear  parents.  If  you  persist  in  your  evil  ways, 
they  will  prove  your  ruin  both  now  and  hereafter. 


70      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

.  .  .  .  .  You  must  positively  make  up  your 
mind  to  correct  them  and  cast  them  behind  you.  In 
crossing  this  threshold,  you  must  leave  them  outside 
and  enter  without  them.  Thus  far  these  bad  habits 
served  only  to  disguise  a  character  which  is  capable 
of  nobler  acts.  You  must,  henceforth,  put  them  aside 

and  appear  as  you  really  are' 'I  will 

cheerfully  receive  the  boy,'  I  said  to  the  parents,  'but 
I  will  not  take  his  failings,  for  they  must  never  again 
be  mentioned  in  this  house. ' 

"The  boy  brightened  up  and  promised,  and  he 
was  true  to  his  word.  I  was  simply  astonished  and 
his  parents  more  so,  for  not  one  of  his  many  faults 
ever  appeared  or  were  recorded  against  him.  He  was 
truly  reformed.  Indeed,  I  frequently  said  to  several 
of  the  professors :  '  It  is  truly  incredible !  The  par- 
ents were  either  sadly  deceived,  or  else  they  assumed 
appearances  for  realities.'  The  boy  very  naturally 
entered  with  zest  into  all  the  college  sports,  and  en- 
joyed them  with  all  the  impetuosity  of  his  youth. 
They  never  were  to  him,  however,  the  cause  of  any 
serious  fault.  If  he  would,  at  times,  seemingly  forget 
himself,  a  look  sufficed  to  recall  to  his  mind  his  still 
stronger  resolutions. 

"Although  he  had  completed  his  fourteenth  year, 
he  had  not  yet  received  his  First  Communion,  owing 
to  his  past  wayward  conduct.  This  privilege  was 
granted  to  him  with  us.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance  on  that  happy  day. 
Though  ordinarily  severe,  even  to  a  degree  of  harsh- 
ness, it  was,  on  that  morning,  suddenly  transfigured 
by  an  angelic  brightness  which  words,  are  inadequate 


TO  TEACH   CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  71 

to  express.  I  could  give  you  his  name,  but  I  will  deny 
myself  the  liberty,  for  he  is  no  longer  on  earth,  and 
his  dear  name  is  now  sacred  to  me.  When  death 
claimed  him,  he  was  twenty,  in  the  flower  of  his  youth. 
He  died  a  peaceful,  happy  death.  His  Christian  name 
Avas  Felix,  and  I  would  frequently  say  to  him :  '  Since 
we  both  have  the  same  baptismal  name,  let  us  strive 
to  be  an  honor  to  each  other.'  He  did  more.  I  sin- 
cerely hope  that  he  looks  down  from  heaven,  where  I 
trust  he  is,  upon  those  who  loved  him  on  earth,  and 
that  he  is  their  intercessor  before  the  throne  of  mercy. 
But  enough,  I  must  refrain  from  say- 
ing another  word.  I  owe  it  to  his  sorrowing  mother 
who  may  perchance  some  day  read  these  pages." 


II. 

A  CELEBRATED  SAYING  OF  ST.  IGNATIUS. 

//  I  could,  by  the  actual  zeal  of  my  whole  life,  pre~ 
vent  the  commission  of  one  single  mortal  sin,  I  would 
consider  the  time  admirably  spent,  and  deem  my  la- 
bors abundantly  rewarded. 

It  is  thus  that  we,  too,  should  reason  and  act. 
Now  supposing  that  we  could  really  foresee  that,  de- 
spite all  our  devoted,  disinterested  zeal,  one  of  our 
pupils  would  deliberately  wander  from  the  path  of 
virtue  which  we  had  traced  out  for  him,  we  should 
still  rightly  hold  that  the  labors  of  our  whole  life  were 
advantageously  employed,  if  we  had  succeeded  in  re- 


72       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

straining  him  from  offending  God  even  for  one  hour, 
and  thereby  prevented  a  single  mortal  sin.  To  act 
thus  is  to  be  animated  by  a  true  zeal  for  God 's  honor 
and  glory.  It  is,  moreover,  a  positive  proof  of  the 
purity  of  our  intention. 

Take,  as  an  instance,  a  man  who  is  in  search  of  a 
treasure.  He  is  indefatigable  in  his  labor,  and  even 
after  toiling  hard  he  is  often  doomed  to  bitter  disap- 
pointment. But  he  is  not  discouraged.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  handles  his  pick  with  renewed  efforts,  and 
if,  after  weeks  of  weary  labor,  he  should  chance  to 
find  a  nugget  or  two  of  gold,  he  thinks  that  his  time 
was  well  spent  and  his  labors  sufficiently  recompensed. 


III. 


AN  ARDENT  ZEAL  SHOULD  CHARACTERIZE  THE  TEACHER  S 
MINISTRY,    ALTHOUGH    HE    BE    FIRMLY    CON- 
VINCED OF  THE  FUTILITY  AND  THE 
STERILITY  OF  HIS  LABORS. 

Suppose  now,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  that  a 
teacher  even  after  having  conscientiously  employed 
all  the  resources  suggested  by  reason,  knowledge,  and 
experience,  yet  can  not  succeed  in  bringing  up  in  a 
Christian  manner  even  one  child,  or  in  preventing 
him  from  wrong-doing  even  for  one  short  hour,  what 
then?  Even  though  this  extreme  hypothesis  were 
true,  he  should  not  desist  from  instructing,  educating, 
and  inciting  the  children  to  the  practice  of  virtue  with 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  73 

all  the  ardor  and  zeal  he  can  possibly  exercise.  This  is 
the  teaching  gleaned  from  one  of  St.  Bernard's  letters 
to  Pope  Eugenius  III.,  who  had  formerly  been  one  of 
his  disciples. 

He  exhorts  him  to  set  himself  seriously  to  the  task 
of  reforming  the  morals  of  his  people.  After  a 
lengthy  and  powerful  exposition  of  the  crying  need 
of  such  reformation,  he  adds:  "Perhaps  you  can 
hardly  repress  a  smile  at  my  ingenuousness,  in  urging 
you  so  earnestly  to  the  accomplishment  of  a  so  seem- 
ingly chimerical  project  as  the  reform  of  a  people  who 
are  inflated  with  pride,  turbulent  of  spirit,  and  un- 
disciplined in  morals,  whose  normal  condition  seems 
one  of  rebellion,  and  who  will  only  reluctantly  submit 
to  the  yoke,  when  constrained  thereto  by  an  absolute 
impossibility  of  further  resistance. 

"Now  this  being  the  prevailing  state  of  morality 
among  the  people,  what  think  you  is  the  natural  in- 
ference as  to  your  conduct?  You  are  undoubtedly 
confronted  with  an  impossible  work,  but  should  you, 
therefore,  renounce  all  efforts,  because,  forsooth,  they 
are  condemned  to  prove  futile?  Indeed  not;  and 
neither  should  you,  on  that  account,  abandon  all  hope, 
nor  repine  and  become  discouraged.  Candidly,  I  ac- 
knowledge that  you  can  not  effect  a  universal  cure, 
but  you  can,  at  least,  apply  the  necessary  remedies  to 
the  existing  evil,  and  thus  strive  to  ameliorate  the  con- 
dition and  bring  about  a  more  healthful  state  of 
morals,  and  that  is  precisely  what  God  demands  of 
you:  Have  they  made  thee  ruler  f  we  read  in  Ec- 
clcsiasticus  <1> Have  care  of  them. 

(1)  c.  xxxii,  1-2. 


/  -i       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Now  God  does  not  say  to  you :  '  Heal  them, '  for  such 
an  ordinance  exceeds  the  limitation  of  the  obligations, 
incumbent  upon  those  whose  duty  consists  in  leading 
others,  for  only  possible  things  are  comprised  in  such 
limitations.  A  physician  has  not  always  the  power 
to  restore  perfect  health  to  his  patients,  and  certainly 
no  reasonable  man  can  expect  it.  The  duty  of  his 
position  does  not  require  it,  but  what  it  does  impera- 
tively demand  is  that  he  neglect  nothing  in  his  power 
to  bring  about  a  perfect  restoration  to  health. 

"Do  you  demand,  perhaps,  more  formal  testimony 
than  any  that  I  have  yet  adduced?  Listen,  then,  to 
the  Apostle  of  nations:  /  have  labored  more  abun- 
dantly than  all  they.  (1)  Observe  he  does  not  say :  'I 
have  converted  more  souls  than  all  they,'  for  he  is 
well  aware  that  every  man  shall  receive  his  own  re- 
u'ard  according  to  his  own  labor,  (2>  and  not  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  measure  of  his  success.  Emulate 
his  example :  plant,  water,  and  cultivate  the  vineyard 
of  the  Lord,- and  you  shall  have  complied  with  the 
duties  of  your  high  station.  The  growth  and  fruit 
are  not  your  concern,  but  God's,  and  he  will  provide 
and  dispose  of  it,  when  in  His  Divine  Wisdom,  the  op- 
portune moment  arrives ;  but  whether  it  does  or  does 
not  come,  should  be  a  matter  of  holy  indifference 
to  you,  because  according  to  the  testimony  of  Holy 
Writ,  The  Lord  renders  to  the  just  the  wages  of  their 
labors,  (3J  without  the  measure  of  their  success. 
Hence,  even  if  you  should  not  accomplish  any  good, 
your  recompense  shall  be  as  great  as  if  you  had  con- 
verted thousands  of  souls. 


(1)  I.  Cor.  xv,  10.     (2)  I.  Cor.  Hi,  8. 
(3)  "Wisdom,  x,  17. 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  75 

' '  God  forbid,  that  in  speaking  thus,  I  should  have 
ever  thought  of  placing  limits  to  His  power  and  good- 
ness. Were  the  Romans  more  hardened  than  they 
really  are  and  were  their  hearts  as  stone,  -God  is  able 
of  these  stones,  as  St.  Matthew  relates,  to  raise  up  chil- 
dren to  Abraham.  (1)  Who  knoweth  but  he  will  re- 
turn, declared  the  prophet  Joel,  (2)  and  forgive  and 
leave  a  blessing  behind  him." 

It  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  enter  into  any  detail 
regarding  St.  Bernard's  letter  to  Pope  Eugenius. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  which  chiefly  concerns  us  now 
is,  neither  the  merit  nor  the  reward  of  our  labors  is 
effected  by  our  success.  Both  merit  and  reward  ex- 
clusively depend  on  the  manner  in  which  we  acquit 
ourselves  of  the  duties  of  our  ministry.  Whence  we 
draw  this  important  inference,  that  however  unsatis- 
factory the  fruit  of  our  labor  among  souls  may  be, 
it  should  not  by  any  means  deter  us  from  laboring 
with  even  greater  courage  and  redoubled  zeal. 

We  will  find  the  same  teaching  in  one  of  the  rev- 
elations of  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  St.  Bridget:  "The 
friends  of  God  should  never  grow  weary  in  His  ser- 
vice, but  should  labor  incessantly  that  the  wicked  be- 
come good,  and  the  good,  perfect. ' '  He  who  cried  out 
to  all  those  passing  by,  that  Christ  was  the  Son  of 
God,  most  probably  made  an  impression  on  only  a  few, 
nevertheless,  he  obtained  the  same  reward  as  if  he  had 
induced  all  those  who  heard  him  to  believe  in  the 
Divinity  of  the  Saviour. 

Again,  take  the  instance  of  two  laborers  engaged 
by  a  master  to  excavate  the  side  of  a  rocky  hill.  One 

(1)  c.  Hi,  9.      (2)  c.  ii,  U. 


76       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

chances  to  strike  a  vein  of  the  purest  gold,  while  the 
other  meets  with  no  success.  Now  on  the  hypothesis 
that  the  two  had  labored  with  equal  steadfastness  and 
fidelity,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  both  entitled 
to  the  same  reward? 

"There  are  certain  undertakings,"  writes  St. 
Francis  de  Sales,  "that  God  wishes  us  to  commence, 
while  others  are  destined  to  complete  them.  The  hus- 
bandman is  not  blamed  for  failing  to  reap  an  abun- 
dant harvest,  but  he  is,  for  neglecting  to  cultivate  the 
field. ' '  God  ordains  some  men  to  be  sowers  and  others 
to  be  reapers.  Some  build  the  foundation  of  an 
edifice,  while  others  complete  the  superstructure.  It 
fell  to  the  share  of  David  to  amass  the  materials  for 
the  Temple,  but  it  was  Solomon's  privilege  to  build. 
"We  should,  therefore,  be  resigned  to  cease  whenever 
God  so  ordains ;  for  He  wishes  us  to  draw  only  a  cer- 
tain measure  of  glory.  He  can  always  find  workmen 
to  complete  His  work,  whenever  it  is  His  good  pleasure 
to  perfect  it. 


IV. 


CONSOLATION  FOR  THE   TEACHER  WHO  EFFECTS   LITTLE 
GOOD  IN  HIS  MINISTRY. 

To  desire  good  is  certainly  an  excellent  thing.  To 
evince  a  too  great  eagerness,  however,  or  to  wish  to 
succeed  on  too  large  a  scale,  or  after  our  own  manner 
of  thinking,  is  to  be  attributed  to  our  self-love  rather 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  77 

than  to  the  love -of  God  and  zeal  for  His  honor  and 
glory. 

We  should  content  ourselves  with  doing  only  the 
possible  good,  that  is,  doing  what  we  can  do,  praying, 
esteeming  ourselves  as  unprofitable^  servants,  and  leav- 
ing the  results  of  our  efforts  to  God 's  benign  and  mer- 
ciful Providence. 

We  all  know  how  sensibly  some  natures  are  af- 
fected by  passing  events.  These  good  souls  are  always 
ripe  for  speculation  and  take  pleasure  in  forecasting 
the  results  of  their  labors.  Hence,  young  teachers  who 
enter  inordinately  upon  their  work,  being  often 
guided  by  an  unenlightened  zeal,  are  usually  disap- 
pointed in  their  expectations.  Experience  teaches 
that  the  reality  is  altogether  different  from  the  charm- 
ing prospects  which  a  too  vivid  imagination  pictures 
to  impressionable  minds.  Discouragement  is  the  un- 
fortunate consequence.  Not  unfrequently,  however, 
the  effect  of  failure  is  productive  of  good.  For  the 
unsuccessful  are  forced  to  enter  into  themselves  to 
analyze  their  motives,  and  to  examine  the  control  they 
exercise  over  themselves.  This  tends,  naturally,  to  a 
scrutiny  of  their  character,  and  thus  they  discover 
in  what  it  may  be  defective.  Moreover,  they  will  ap- 
preciate the  difficulty  which  they  experience  in  cor- 
recting their  own  defects  as  well  as  the  little  progress 
they  may  have  made  in  their  own  perfection.  If  this 
introspection  be  sincere,  it  will  teach  them  patience 
and  resignation.  For  they  who  thoroughly  under- 
stand themselves,  will  be  less  severe  on  others. 

"If  thou  canst  not,"  says  Thomas  a  Kempis,  (1) 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Chapt.  XVI. 


SAINT  ANTHONY'S  SEMINARY 
SANTA  BARBARA,  CALIF. 


78      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"make  thyself  such  a  one  as  thou  wouldst,  how  canst 
thou  expect  to  have  others  according  to  thy  liking? 

"He  that  has  true  and  perfect  charity  seeks  him- 
self in  no  one  thing,  but  desires  only  the  glory  of  God 
in  all  things. 

"Endeavor  to  be  patient  in  supporting  other's  de- 
fects and  infirmities,  of  what  kind  soever;  because 
thou  also  hast  many  things  which  others  must  bear 
withal. 

'   "We  would  have  others  strictly  corrected,  but  are 
not  willing  to  be  corrected  ourselves. 

"Thus  it  is  evident  how  seldom  we  weigh  our 
neighbor  in  the  same  balance  with  ourselves. 

"But  how  great  each  one's  virtue  is,  best  appears 
on  occasion  of  adversity ;  for  occasions  do  not  make  a 
man  frail,  but  show  what  he  is. ' ' 


V. 


JESUS  CHRIST,  THE  MODEL,  FOR  YOUNG  TEACHERS  WHO 
ARE  DISCOURAGED. 

Place  before  your  pupils  for  imitation  only  the 
fiest  at  your  command  is  a  sound  pedagogic  principle. 
It  is  axiomatic.  It  follows  that  if  nothing  imperfect 
or  defective  should  be  presented  to  pupils,  then  cer- 
tainly only  the  perfect,  par  excellence,  should  be  pro- 
posed as  a  model  to  young  teachers.  Now,  who  was 
more  perfect  than  Jesus  Christ?  Hence  we  will  pre- 
sent Him,  the  Teacher  of  teachers,  as  a  model  for  all 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  79 

educators.  The  more  they  resemble  Him,  the  closer 
they  follow  His  method,  the  more  familiar  they  are 
with  His  doctrines,  and  the  more  profound  their  study 
of  His  life,  the  greater  and  more  far-reaching  will  be 
the  efforts  of  their  teaching  and  example. 

Let  us  imagine  ourselves  in  Judea,  the  eye-witness 
of  Our  Lord's  active  ministry,  and  draw  our  own 
conclusions.  Yes,  "were  we  really  to  hear  and  see 
Jesus  Christ  actually  engaged,"  says  Rodriguez, 
"would  we  dare  proclaim  that  He  taught  only  His 
disciples,  or  men  who  were  eager  for  His  word,  or 
that  He  preached  only  to  an  admiring  people  that 
longed  for  His  doctrine  and  were  eager  to  follow  Him  ? 
Nay,  would  we  not  find  Him  teaching  just  as  willingly 
His  most  pronounced  enemies,  those  who  came  to  lay 
surprises  for  Him,  and  even  those  who  had  designedly 
come  to  entrap  Him  in  His  words  and  thereby  seek 
his  ruin?  Do  we  not  also  find  Him  in  familiar  con- 
verse with  the  poor  Samaritan  woman,  discussing  with 
her  the  great  question  in  dispute  between  the  two 
peoples,  whether  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  adore 
God  in  Jerusalem,  or  if  He  could  be  worshipped  equally 
as  well  elsewhere?  Undoubtedly  some  one  may  say, 
but  Jesus  Christ  foresaw  that  this  poor  Samaritan 
woman  would  come  to  believe  in  Him,  and,  conse- 
quently, derive  the  intended  fruit  from  His  conversa- 
tion with  her.  Doubtless,  He  was  aware  of  the  effect 
of  His  teaching  upon  her,  but  was  He  not  equally  cer- 
tain of  the  results  of  His  preaching  to  the  Pharisees, 
Sadducees,  and  so  many  others,  who  were  far  from 
being  favorably  disposed  toward  Him  or  willing  to  ac- 
cept His  saving  doctrines,  and  who  would,  moreover, 


80       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

be  His  cruel  persecutors  and  finally  deliver  Him  up 
to  death?  We  will  see  Him,  nevertheless,  either  ask- 
ing them  questions,  and  thus  forcing  them  to  the 
truth  by  their  admission,  or  else  answering  the  ques- 
tions which  they  had  addressed  to  Him  with  all  the 
malice  of  forethought.  Do  we  perceive  even  one  sin- 
gle soul,  convinced  by  the  power  of  His  wrord,  that 
rendered  real  honor  to  the  truth  by  following  Him? 
Shall  we  say  that  He  was  ignorant  of  the  success  of 
His  efforts  and  that  He  did  not  foresee  their  sterility  ? 
By  no  means,  for  He  was  perfectly  aware  that,  in  op- 
posing their  obduracy,  His  preaching  would  be  futile 
to  the  greater  number  of  them,  and  would  rather  tend 
to  increase  their  obstinacy  and  add  to  the  guilt  of  their 
condemnation.  Nevertheless,  His  infinite  Wisdom, 
anticipating  this  result,  did  not  cause  Him  to  relin- 
quish His  zeal,  but  rather  incited  Him  to  even  greater 
activity.  He  wishes  thus  to  teach  those  who  were 
ignorant  of  the  success  of  their  efforts,  that  they 
should  never  relax  in  their  zeal,  nor  give  way  to  dis- 
couragement, however  poor  or  even  barren  the  results 
of  their  zealous  ministry  might  appear." 

Now,  what  positive  knowledge  can  we  really  have 
as  to  the  fruits  of  our  teaching  ?  Those  very  instruc- 
tions which,  in  our  own  estimation,  are  deemed  no  bet- 
ter than  sounding  brass  and  tinkling  cymbals,  are, 
perhaps  in  God's  merciful  design,  intended  to  effect 
the  salvation  of  some  child  in  our  class.  Moreover,  the 
children,  who  may  now  be  worrying  us  by  their  seem- 
ing listlessness,  will,  in  due  time,  remember  our  zeal- 
ous exhortations,  and,  touched  by  grace,  will  produce 
abundant  fruits  of  justice,  and  become  truly  con- 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT  81 

verted.  For  we  have  sown  the  good  seed  in  their 
hearts,  and  that  was  the  share  allotted  to  us.  There- 
fore, no  matter  what  may  happen,  we  should  not 
cease  laboring,  or  grow  weary  in  the  saving  of  souls. 

"For  Thine  own  purposes,  Thou  hast  sent 
The  strife  and  the  discouragement."  (1) 


VI. 

PRESERVING  ZEAL  IS  CROWNED  WITH  SUCCESS. 

"Press  bravely  onward  ! — not  In  vain 
Your  generous  trust  in  human  kind ; 

The  good  which  bloodshed  could  not  gain 
Your  peaceful  zeal  shall  find." — Whittier. 

"The  Apostle  of  Carthagena,  St.  Peter  Claver,  ef- 
fected," says  Daurignac,  his  biographer,  "innumer- 
able conversions.  Many  of  these,  however,  were  ob- 
tained only  at  the  cost  of  great  and  painful  mortifica- 
tions, long  prayers,  and  after  many  bitter  tears.  God, 
however,  always  in  the  end  granted  him  the  salvation 
of  souls  which  were  purchased  at  such  a  price,  and 
frequently  the  Divine  Goodness  worked  miracles  to 
give  His  servant  that  consolation  as  a  reward  for  years 
of  patient  waiting. 

"Among  the  crowds  who  daily  presented  them- 
selves at  the  College  doors  to  receive  the  alms  dis- 
tributed by  St.  Peter  Claver,  there  happened  to  be 
one,  a  Turk,  who  possessed  a  most  intractable  nature. 
Insensible  to  the  benefits  bestowed,  harsh,  and  even 

(1)  Longfellow,  Christus. 
6 


82       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

cruel,  Ahmed  repaid  all  the  tender  solicitude  of  the 
good  Father  with  insults  and  abuse.  Nevertheless,  he 
seemed  the  beggar  by  predilection,  the  favorite  of  the 
saintly  Jesuit,  because  Ahmed  was  to  him  a  source 
of  merit  and  a  soul  hard  to  gain. 

"The  struggle  between  the  ingratitude  of  Ahmed 
and  the  charity  of  St.  Peter  Claver  continued  for 
years.  Early  one  morning,  however,  the  poor  Turk 
came  and  acknowledged  himself  vanquished.  Casting 
himself  at  the  feet  of  the  Saint,  he  tearfully  pleaded : 
'My  Father:  .  .  .  .  .  Pardon  me;  forgive 

me! I  can  no  longer  withstand  so 

much  goodness,  mildness,  and  sweetness.  Instruct  me 
and  make  me  a  Christian Your  re- 
ligion ha§  power  to  make  me  better  than  that  of  the 
Prophet!' 

"That  was  one  of  the  brightest,  happiest  moments 
of  St.  Peter  Claver 's  life.  Tenderly  he  pressed  the 
Turk  to  his  heart,  and  offered  him  to  God  with  tears 
of  gratitude.  He  earnestly  set  about  instructing  and 
preparing  him  for  baptism.  Ahmed  was  baptized, 
and,  under  the  Saint's  guidance,  became  not  only  one 
of  the  most  devoted  Christians,  but  also  one  of  the 
meekest  and  humblest. 

"Thus  did  God  reward  the  patience  and  long- 
suffering  of  this  apostle,  by  granting  him  the  soul  that 
was  bought  by  such  tender  charity,  suffering,  and 
sacrifices." 

When  perceiving  the  apparent  sterility  of  our 
efforts,  which  cost  us  many  days  and  months  of  worry 
and  patient  endurance,  we  should  not  repine  or  give 
way  to  discouragement,  but  we  should  rather  redouble 


TO  TEACH  CHILDREN  WHO  DO  NOT  PROFIT.  83 

our  zeal,  multiply  our  prayers  and  sacrifices.  "We 
may  rest  assured  that  God  will  bless  our  intentions 
and  labors,  and  render  our  ministry  fruitful  in  good, 
and  grant  us  abundant  fruits  of  grace  and  salvation. 

"A  prudent  man,"  says  Sophocles,  "must  neglect 
no  circumstance. ' '  Let  us  humbly  learn  to  know  the 
ways  of  the  Lord. 

"For  there  are  many,  who,  when  things  succeed 
not  well  with  them,"  says  Thomas  a  Kempis,  "pres- 
ently grow  impatient  and  slothful. 

"Now  the  way  of  man  is  not  always  in  his  own 
power;  but  it  belongs  to  God  to  give  and  to  comfort 
when  He  will,  and  as  much  as  He  will,  and  to  whom 
He  will,  and  as  it  shall  please  Him,  and  no  more.  .  . 

"Those  who  are  as  yet  but  novices,  and  inexper- 
ienced in  the  way  of  the  Lord,  if  they  will  not  govern 
themselves  by  the  counsel  of  discreet  persons,  will  be 
easily  deceived  and  overthrown."  (1) 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III,  chap.  VII,  2. 


84      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


FIFTH  OBJECTION. 

SUCCESS   IS  IMPOSSIBLE,   OWING   TO  THE   HARDSHIPS   OP 
THE  CLASS. 

"To  Truth's  house  there  is  a  single  door. 

Which   is  experience.     He  teaches  best, 

Who  feels  the  hearts  of  all  men  in  his  breast. 

And  knows  their  strength  or  weakness  through  his  own." 

— Bayard  Taylor. 

"Our  grand  business,"  writes  Carlyle,  "is  not 
to  see  what  lies  dimly  at  a  distance,  but  to  do  what 
lies  clearly  at  hand." 

"There  is  the  influence  of  habit,"  remarks  Til- 
ley,  (1)  "which  enters  so  largely  as  a  factor  into  all 
real  and  permanent  success  that  it  can  not  safely  be 
ignored;  while,  mingling  itself  with  all  one's  efforts, 
there  must  be  that  deep  enthusiasm,  that  passion  for 
one's  work,  whatever  it  be,  that  makes  toil  easy  and 
holds  one  unflinchingly  to  his  task. ' ' 

The  poet  admirably  conveys  the  thought  which 
gives  the  key-note  to  the  situation : 

"We  live  in  deeds,  not  years ;  in  thoughts,  not  breaths ; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  the  dial. 
We  should  count  time  by  heart-throbs.     He  most  liveg 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best."  (2) 

' '  In  the  lexicon  of  youth,  which  fate  reserves  for  a 
bright  manhood,  there  is  no  such  word  as  fail!"  (3) 
The  reason  is  evident,  for  an  energetic,  determined 

(1)  Masters  of  the  Situation.     (2)   Baily,  Festus. 
(3)  Bulwer-Lytton,  Drama,  Richelieu. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  85 

will  triumphs  over  all  difficulties  and  overcomes  all 
obstacles.  Why,  then,  declare  success  impossible  ? 

Doubtless,  we  all  remember  the  significant  saying 
of  a  French  general  who,  when  his  soldiers  declared  it 
impossible  to  execute  certain  orders,  owing  to  seem- 
ing, insurmountable  obstacles,  emphatically  ex- 
claimed :  "Impossible!  why  my  brave  men,  the  word 

IMPOSSIBLE  is  not  French ! FORWARD  ! 

MARCH!"  Thus,  by  his  undaunted 

courage,  he  freed  himself  and  his  army  from  the  im- 
minent danger  which  threatened  to  crush  them. 

Needless  to  say  that  cowards  are  easily  frightened 
at  the  least  sign  of  danger  and  naturally  shrink  at 
the  sight  of  hardship.  At  the  least  appearance  of  any 
obstacle,  they  immediately  stop  and  seek  safety  in  a 
hasty  retreat.  Surely,  we  have  no  ambition  to  be 
classed  with  such  men.  For  "every  recreant  who 
proved  his  timidity  in  the  hour  of  danger, ' '  as  Tacitus 
tersely  stigmatizes  cowards,  "was  afterwards  boldest 
in  word  and  tongue." 

Remember  that  persevering  labor  works  wonders, 
whereas  fear  engenders  only  misery  and  weariness. 
If  we  wish  to  reap  in  joy,  then  we  should  begin  to  sow 
in  sorrow.  Now,  God  said  to  Adam,  therefore,  to  the 
whole  human  race :  Thou  shalt  eat  thy  bread  in  the 
sweat  of  thy  face.  (*>  Will  we,  then,  claim  exemption 
from  this  universal  decree  ?  Do  we  really  expect  to  be 
the  only  individuals  who  will  have  nothing  to  suffer 
and  who  will  be  altogether  free  from  annoyance  and 
worry?  If  so,  how  will  we  possibly  evade  the  man- 
date which  Christ  gave  to  all  who  desire  to  follow 

(1)  Gen.,  Hi,  19. 


86      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Him?  //  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny 
himself  and  take  up  his  cross  daily,  and  folloiv  me.  t1* 
There  is  no  shirking  the  duty  implied  in  these  words, 
and  there  can  be  no  subterfuge  allowed,  for  either  we 
have  to  take  up  our  cross  daily,  or  else  desist  calling 
ourselves  followers  of  Christ.  Whence  it  obviously 
follows  that  we  must  renounce  ourselves  and  be  pre- 
pared to  lead  a  life  fraught  with  trials  and  tribu- 
lations, full  of  battles  and  sacrifices.  Do  we  wish  to 
elude  them?  We  undoubtedly  refuse  to  give  up  our 
claim  to  being  disciples  of  Christ,  therefore,  we 
should  willingly  and  courageously  obey  His  injunc- 
tion. 

Now,  young  teachers  not  infrequently  fall  into  the 
fatal  error  of  supposing  that  they  and  they  alone  ex- 
perience hardships  in  the  class.  The  sooner  they  rid 
themselves  of  this  false  notion  the  better  for  them- 
selves and  their  pupils.  The  young  teacher  should 
ever  remember  that  difficulties  are  not  peculiar  to  his 
calling,  but  that  every  art  or  profession  has  its  par- 
ticular hardships,  apart  from  the  irksome  and  pro- 
longed apprenticeship  common  to  all.  "Whoever  is 
resolved  to  excel  in  painting, ' '  is  the  strong  utterance 
of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  ' '  or,  indeed,  in  any  art,  must 
bring  all  his  mind  to  bear  upon  that  one  object  from 
the  moment  that  he  rises  until  he  goes  to  bed.  . 

Those  who  are  resolved  to  excel  must  go  to 
their  work,  willing  or  unwilling)  morning,  noon,  and 
night;  they  will  find  it  no  play,  but  very  hard  work." 
Does  not  Horace  tell  us  that  life  gives  nothing  to  men 
without  great  labor  ?  We  can  readily  understand  that 

(1)  St.  Luke,  ix,  23. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  87 

no  great  work  is  ever  accomplished  without  hard, 
persistent  labor.  There  are,  doubtless,  many  who, 
at  first,  imagined  that  they  could  never  become  suc- 
cessful teachers,  but  they,  nevertheless,  reached  their 
goal  by  generous,  persevering  efforts.  "Labor  con- 
quers everything,"  is  the  oft-quoted  saying  of  the 
author  of  the  Aeneid. 

\Ye  may  rest  assured,  moreover,  that  our  success 
is  always  commensurate  with  the  efforts  we  have 
exerted  to  overcome  difficulties.  Now  this  being  un- 
questionably true,  obstacles  and  difficulties  should  en- 
courage rather  than  discourage  the  zealous  and  disin- 
terested young  teacher,  and  afford  him  even  some  de- 
gree of  pleasure  in  duty  well  done.  Even  the  pagan 
Lucretius  confidently  assures  him  that ' '  labor  is  itself 
a  pleasure."  Conseqent]y,  if  he  be  constant  and  ener- 
getic, and  place  his  whole  confidence  in  God,  he  will 
soon  experience  the  joy  in  overcoming  the  last  ob- 
stacles that  encumber  his  path. 

Especially  in  our  own  time,  when  so  many  new 
avenues  to  success  have  been  opened  to  the  energetic 
and  persevering  youth,  instances  of  a  strong  will  over- 
riding all  obstacles  are  numerous.  Who  is  not  familiar 
with  the  early  career  of  President  Lincoln  ?  Was  his 
path  strewn  with  roses  ?  The  story  of  his  triumphant 
and  honorable  advance  from  peasant  obscurity  to  the 
highest  position  of  confidence  which  an  appreciative 
nation  could  offer  him,  is  a  commonplace  of  history. 
Most  of  the  men  of  achievement  of  our  days  have  been 
born  and  bred  like  Lincoln,  in  the  midst  of  hardships. 
Their  early  days  were  days  of  toil  and  endurance.  A 
heart  less  stout  would  have  quailed  in  presence  of  the 


88       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

difficulties  which  they  successfully  conquered.  They 
were  thrown  entirely  upon  their  own  resources.  It 
seems  that  nature  purposely  hedged  them  round  with 
obstacles  and  deprived  them  of  "the  advantages,  so 
lavishly  bestowed  upon  more  fortunate  competitors, 
merely  to  show  what  an  indomitable  will  can  accom- 
plish. 

To  young  men,  men  of  ability  and  energy,  the 
'remark  is  frequently  made  by  those  who  have  grown 
gray  in  the  successful  pursuit  of  earthly  riches :  "At 
no  time  have  there  been  so  many  splendid  opportu- 
nities offered  to  the  young  man  ambitious  of  fortune 
and  distinction. ' '  Now  shall  the  class-room,  in  which 
the  noblest  triumphs  can  be  won,  where  the  greatest 
victories  may  be  gained,  be  entirely  excluded  from  the 
field  of  activity?  And  are  not  the  prospects  of  per- 
fect success  increased  here  a  hundredfold,  when  the 
Christian  teacher  brings  to  his  work  a  rational  confi- 
dence in  God,  and  a  courage,  begotten  of  meditation  on 
the  dignity  of  his  holy  vocation? 

But,  perhaps  the  Christian  teacher  may  object  to 
the  authorities  cited  as  not  sufficiently  convincing. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  he  will  certainly  not  presume  to 
dispute  the  doctrine  of  the  illustrious  Apostle,  St. 
Paul,  who  has  emphatically  and  confidently  declared : 
I  can  do  all  things  in  Him  who  strengthened  me.  <*) 
Gladly  therefore  will  I  glory  in  my  infirmities,  that 
the  power  of  Christ  may  dwell  in  me.  (2)  And  God 
is  faithful,  who  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted 
above  that  which  you  are  able:  but  will  also  make 

(1)  Phil.,  iv,  IS.     (2)  II.  Cor.,  xii,  9, 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  89 

with  the  temptation  issue,  that  you  may  be  able  to 
bear  it.  (*) 

Therefore,  when  obedience  appoints  us  to  a  posi- 
tion, let  us  do  the  best  according  to  our  ability,  and 
promptly  banish  from  our  minds  all  discouraging 
thoughts  as  so  many  dangerous  temptations. 


I. 

THE  TEACHER'S  DISTRUST  is  OFFENSIVE  TO  GOD. 

"Be  not  too  easily  discouraged,"  writes  William 
J.  Tilley.  (2)  "It  has  been  well  said  that  we  know 
what  we  are,  but  know  not  what  we  may  be,  and  it  is 
much  less  what  we  do  than  what  we  think  which  fits  us 

for  our  future But  these  depressions, 

these  hours  of  gloom,  let  us  remember,  are  well-nigh 
universal ;  the  stoutest-hearted  are  not  exempt.  . 

.  There  are  hours  of  darkness  when  we  go  griev- 
ing. Will  God  not  enable  us  to  fill  out  the  ragged  in- 
completeness of  our  lives,  which  so  haunts  us  ever- 
more? Is  He  so  strong,  and  will  He  not  remove  the 
bars  of  sinister  circumstances  that  environ  us?  Ah, 
if  He  only  would!  Then  a  sudden  light  breaks  in 
upon  the  soul.  The  whole  landscape  of  life  seems 
lighted  up.  We  see  clearly  the  path  which  we  should 
take,— the  high  duties  for  which  we  should  brace  our- 
selves. Faint  not,  then,  nor  falter!" 

The  Christian  teacher  should  be  a  man  of  unfail- 
ing courage.  Having  God  with  him,  why  allow  diffi- 

(1)  I.  Cor.,  x,  13.     (2)  Masters  of  tlie  Situation. 


90      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

culties  to  discourage  him?  The  teacher  who  repines, 
can  not  expect  the  blessings  of  heaven  upon  his  labors, 
for,  by  his  want  of  confidence,  he  deeply  wounds  the 
heart  of  God.  If  we  put  our  trust  in  man,  we  indeed 
lean  upon  a  reed;  but  if  in  God,  then  are  we  truly 
sustained  by  the  Strong. 

"If  there  be  anything  which  is  flattering,  as  it 
were,  to  the  Lord, ' '  Rodriguez  assures  us,  ' '  and  which 
disposes  Him  to  shower  abundantly  His  graces  and 
favors  upon  us,  it  is  unquestionably  a  filial  and  ab- 
solute confidence.  Hence  there  can  be  nothing 
more  offensive  in  His  sight  nor  more  con- 
ducive to  provoke  His  indignation,  than  our 
distrust  of  Him.  For  this  diffidence  is  before  Heaven 
a  direct  and  cruel  affront  to  His  honor.  Of  the  many 
crimes  of  Israel,  there  was  no  crime  that  so  suddenly 
inflamed  His  anger  and  drew  down  upon  them  such 
terrible  and  appalling  punishments  as  their  want  of 
confidence.  Take  as  instance,  the  twelve  spies  whom 
Moses  sent  to  reconnoitre  the  land  of  Canaan.  They 
reported  that  they  had  discovered  a  country  dotted 
with  strongly  fortified  towns  and  impregnable  cita- 
dels, whose  inhabitants  were  giants,  compared  with 
whom  the  Israelites  were  but  dwarfs.  This  account  so 
frightened  and  terrified  the  people  that  they  despaired 
of  ever  becoming  masters  of  the  Promised  Land. 
They  even  resolved  to  elect  another  leader  who  would 
conduct  them  back  to  Egypt.  In  vain  did  Caleb  and 
Josue  strive  to  deter  them  from  executing  the  project. 
Their  peaceful  overtures  served  only  to  augment  the 
rage  of  the  people,  already  panic-stricken,  and  almost 
frenzied  by  fear.  Indeed,  these  infuriated  people  had 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  91 

even  resolved  to  stone  Caleb  and  Josue  in  return  for 
their  good  offices.  Then  it  was  that  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  appeared  above  the  Tabernacle,  and  a  voice  was 
heard,  saying:  How  long  will  this  people  detract  me? 
How  long  will  they  not  believe  me  for  all  the  signs 
tJiat  I  have  wrought  before  them?  I  will  strike  them 
therefore  with  pestilence,  and  will  consume  them,  t1* 
Nevertheless,  Moses,  out  of  goodness  of  heart,  inter- 
ceded in  behalf  of  his  people,  and  God  pardoned 
them  for  the  sake  of  His  servant.  But  all  the  men 
that  have  seen  my  majesty,  added  the  Lt>rd,  and  the 
signs  that  I  have  done  in  Egypt,  and  in  the  wilderness, 
and  have  tempted  me  now  ten  times,  and  have  not 
obeyed  my  voice,  shall  not  see  the  land  for  which  I 
swore  to  their  fathers,  neither  shall  any  one  of  them 
that  hath  detracted  me,  behold  it.  (2)  This  severe 
sentence  was  rigorously  executed.  Of  the  six  hundred 
thousand  men  who  came  out  of  Egypt,  there  was  not 
one  who  was  permitted  to  enter  the  Promised  Land,, 
save  Caleb  and  Josue  who  had  earnestly  striven  to 
raise  the  drooping  spirit  of  the  people.  All  that  im- 
mense multitude  were  condemned  to  perish  in  the 
desert,  in  just  punishment  for  their  distrust.  To 
manifest  more  clearly  their  folly,  God  said  to  them: 
But  your  children,  of  whom  you  said,  that  they  should 
be  a  prey  to  the  enemies,  will  I  bring  in:  that  they 
may  sec  the  land  which  you  have  despised.  <B> 

"But  to  illustrate  still  more  strikingly  the  horror 
that  God  has  for  so  cowardly  an  outrage  which 
wounds  Him,  as  it  were,  in  the  tenderest  part  of  His 


(1)  Numbers,  xiv,  11,  IS. 

(2)  Ibid.,  xiv,  22,  23.     (S)  Ibid.,  xiv,  SI. 


92       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

heart,  we  have  merely  to  place  before  us  the  example 
of  Moses  and  Aaron.  In  executing  an  order  of  the 
Lord,  they  were  guilty  only  of  a  momentary  doubt, 
and  yet,  they  were  adjudged  deserving  of  a  similar 
punishment,  and  deprived  of  entering  the  land  for 
which  they  had  so  earnestly  yearned.  In  pronouncing 
their  sentence,  the  Lord  said:  Because  you  have  not 
believed  me,  to  sanctify  me  before  the  children  of 
Israel,  you  shall  not  bring  these  people  into  the  land, 
ivhich  I  will  give  them.  (1)  As  if  to  emphasize  His 
words,  God,  from  the  top  of  a  mountain,  shortly  after- 
ward pointed  out  to  Moses  this  promised  land,  and 
said  to  him:  This  is  the  land,  for  which  I  swore  to 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  saying:  I  will  give  it  to 
thy  seed.  Thou  hast  seen  it  with  thy  eyes,  and  shall 
not  pass  over  to  it.  <z>  Oh !  how  immeasurably  deep, 
then,  is  the  wound  which  distrust  inflicts  on  the  loving 
heart  of  God,  since  it  renders  Him  so  inexorable !  It  is, 
verily,  a  direct  affront  to  His  honor,  and  is,  therefore, 
deservedly  visited  with  such  weighty  chastisement." 
From  these  reflections  we  may  draw  two  practical 
inferences.  In  the  first  place,  we  should  hold  the 
discouragement  to  which  we  sometimes  give  way,  as 
due  either  to  the  violence  of  temptation  and  to  the 
difficulty  experienced  in  the  advancement  of  our  spir- 
itual perfection,  or  else  to  the  trials  and  hardships 
endured  in  our  ministry.  Hence,  we  should  consider 
such  discouragement  as  something  very  reprehensible, 
not  merely  in  itself,  but,  likewise,  as  something  su- 
premely insulting  to  God,  and,  therefore,  as  being 
sovereignly  contemptible  in  His  sight.  Now,  this  at- 

(1)  Numbers,  xx,  12.     (2)  Deut.,  xxxiv,  4. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  93 

titude  of  distrust  would  seemingly  be  due  to  our  hu- 
mility, but,  upon  closer  view,  we  have  to  acknowledge 
that  it  really  has  its  source  in  pride.  Moreover,  we 
are  constrained  to  admit  that  it  flourishes  in  our 
hearts  only  when  we  esteem  ourselves  as  self-sufficient, 
and  rely  wholly  upon  our  own  strength.  Whence  we 
draw  the  second  inference,  that  in  all  our  wants  as 
well  as  tribulations,  our  first  and  principal  duty 
should  be  to  turn  toward  God  and  earnestly  implore 
His  aid,  instead  of  waiting  until  we  have  exhausted 
all  our  resources  by  fruitless  efforts.  Let  us  not  imi- 
tate worldlings  who  seek  success  chiefly  by  human 
means,  and  who  turn  to  God  only  when  all  their  efforts 
are  vain,  or  when  they  are  confronted  by  a  desperate 
situation.  What  is  the  usual  result  of  such  conduct  ? 
Naturally,  by  a  just  punishment  of  God,  whom  they 
completely  ignored  in  their  moments  of  self- 
sufficiency,  all  the  resources  upon  which  they  had  so 
confidently  and  boastfully  relied  and  gloried,  become 
suddenly  barren,  and  bring  them  only  utter  confusion. 
Thus  we  read  in  the  second  book  of  Paralipomenon: 
Because,  said  the  Prophet  Asa  to  the  King  of  Juda, 
thou  hast  had  confidence  in  the  King  of  Syria,  and 
not  in  the  Lord  thy  God,  therefore  has  the  army  of  the 
King  of  Syria  escaped  out  of  thy  hand.  (*>  God  is 
offended  when  we  seek  support  other  than  His. 
Therefore,  our  first  and  chief  duty  is  to  ask  His  as- 
sistance whenever  we  are  subjected  to  trials  or  beset 
by  difficulties.  Hence,  also  the  reason  why  our  prin- 
cipal object  in  meditation  should  be  to  establish  our- 
selves firmly  in  an  unshaken  confidence  in  God.  For, 

(i)    c.    xvi,   7. 


94       THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

is  not  cultivation  of  every  virtue  in  our  souls  the 
primary  end  of  meditation?  Now,  would  it  not  be 
altogether  irrational  to  neglect  utilizing  so  helpful  an 
exercise  in  the  acquisition  of  so  essential  a  virtue,  as 
implicit  and  childlike  confidence  in  God  ? 

Moreover,  the  complete  acquisition  of  this  virtue 
should  be  the  purport  of  our  most  unrelenting  efforts. 
We  should  cultivate  it  unceasingly,  until  we  feel  in 
our  hearts  that  we  have  acquired  the  habit  thereof, 
and  thus  come  naturally  to  turn  always  and  exclu- 
sively toward  God,  and  put  our  whole  trust  in  Him 
alone. 

We  should  have  the  pregnant  words  of  the  pious 
Josaphat,  king  of  Juda,  ever  on  our  lips :  0  our  God, 
as  we  know  not  what  to  do,  we  can  only  turn  our 
eyes  to  Thee.  (1)  If  we  do  this,  the  Almighty  will 
not  only  be  our  strength,  but  likewise  our  consola- 
tion and  joy.  Let  us  proclaim  with  the  Royal 
Psalmist:  Blessed  is  the  man  whose  trust  is  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  who  hath  not  regard  to  van- 
ities, and  lying  follies.  (*) 

Let  us  always  confidently  rely  upon  God  in  our  hour 
of  need ;  our  hope  will  never  suffer  disappointment.  He 
Himself  will  be  our  helper,  and  our  ministry,  blessed 
by  Him,  will  bring  forth  abundant  fruits  of  salvation. 
Then  will  we,  indeed,  be  ready  to  exclaim  with  holy 
King  David:  In  Thee,  0  Lord,  have  I  hoped,  and 
my  hope  has  never  been  confounded,  because  with  my 
whole  heart  I  sought  after  Thee.  (*) 


(1)  Paral.,  xx,  12.     (2)  Ps.,  xxxix,  5. 
(8)  Ps.,  xxx,  2;  cxviii,  10. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  95 

- 

II. 

THOUGHTS    HELPFUL    TO    INSPIRE    CONFIDENCE    DESPITE 
APPARENT  DIFFICULTIES. 

"Learn  by  my  experience,"  writes  St.  Theresa, 
"never  to  listen  to  the  fears  inspired  by  nature  and 
never  lose  trust  in  God's  goodness,  if  He  should,  on 
different  occasions,  call  upon  you  to  execute  some  great 
design.  For  if  God 's  glory  be  your  sole  object,  success 
is  assured,  because  He  is  All-powerful. ' ' 

"Whenever  God's  greatest  glory  is  the  term  of 
our  actions,"  remarks  St.  Ignatius,  "we  must  be 
ready  to  go  against  wind  and  wave,  and  the  more 
desperate  the  situation,  the  greater  must  be  our  hope 
in  Him." 

"I  am  so  positively  convinced  that  it  is  God's 
will, ' '  said  St.  Francis  Xavier,  in  speaking  of  the 
mission  to  India,  "that  were  I  to  delay  its  execu- 
tion even  for  a  few  instants,  I  would  really  deem 
myself  in  open  war  against  Heaven.  For,  then,  I 
would  no  longer  dare  hope  for  Divine  Mercy,  either 
in  this  life  or  in  the  life  to  come.  Hence,  if  I  fail 
to  obtain  passage  on  a  Portuguese  Merchant  Vessel,  I 
am  fully  decided  to  cast  myself  into  a  bark,  manned 
by  pagans  or  even  by  Saracens.  Moreover,  I  have 
such  unbounded  confidence  in  God,  that  for  His  sake 
alone,  I  would  go  thither  without  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation, and  brave,  in  the  frailest  vessel,  all  the  temp- 
estous  storms  of  the  Ocean.  My  hopes  are  centered 
neither  on  sails  or  anchors,  nor  on  sailors,  but  on  God 
alone.  For  He  is  my  Pilot,  my  Anchor  of  mercy, 
and  salvation. ' ' 


96      THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHEE  ENCOURAGED. 

"In  all  our  troubles,  dangers  and  repugnances," 
he  wrote  in  another  letter,  ' '  the  sweetest  remedy  is  to 
fear  nothing  and  to  rely  confidently  on  God ;  whereas 
the  greatest  evil  that  may  befall  us,  in  the  Lord's  bat- 
tles, is  to  fear  His  enemies." 

"Now  that  all  seems  lost,"  St.  Francis  de  Sales 
assures  us,  "  I  begin  to  have  confidence. ' ' 

' '  Whenever  God  imposes  any  difficult  undertaking 
upon  us, ' '  confidently  asserts  St.  Vincent  de  Paul, ' '  or 
permits  us  to  suffer  while  engaged  in  His  service 
and  promoting  His  glory,  He  always,  in  the  order 
of  His  Fatherly  Providence,  defends  and  aids  us." 

"Ackowledge  that  thou  canst  do  nothing  without 
Me,",  said  Our  Lord  one  day  to  Blessed  Margaret 
Mary.  "I  shall  never  allow  thee  to  want  for  help, 
provided  that  thou  always  keepest  thy  nothingness  and 
weakness  swallowed  up  in  My  Strength. ' ' 

"We  are  very  apt  to  exaggerate  our  difficulties," 
affirms  Father  Judde;  "but  we  also  frequently  find 
that,  by  applying  ourselves  manfully,  we  can  accom- 
plish what  we,  at  first,  believed  impossible.  Again,  we 
often  feel  that  our  strength  increases  proportionately 
to  our  courage,  either  because  God  sustains  us,  or 
because  many  of  our  troubles  are,  not  infrequently, 
either  purely  imaginary,  or  the  result  of  wounded 
feelings. ' ' 

"Rest  assured  that  if  God  ordain  that  we  should 
endure  hardships,"  writes  that  eminent  educator,  St. 
John  Baptist  de  la  Salle,  (1)  "after  having  placed 
ourselves  wholly  in  His  hands  to  suffer  all,  when 
and  as  long  as  He  pleases,  He  will  invariably  aid  us  by 

jfl)  Meditation  for  the  Fourth  Sunday  in  Lent. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  97 

His  grace  to  support  the  trials,  causing  them,  by  some 
unexpected  means,  even  to  vanish  altogether,  and,  at  a 
time,  we  had  least  expected.  King  David,  having 
himself  experienced  the  Divine  Protection,  expressed 
himself  thus :  With  expectation  I  have  waited  for  the 
Lord,  and  He  was  attentive  to  me.  And  He  heard  my 
prayers,  and  brought  me  out  of  the  pit  of  misery  and 
the  mire  of  dregs.  And  He  set  my  feet  upon  a  rock, 

and  directed  my  steps Many  shall  see, 

and  shall  fear:  And  they  shall  hope  in  the  Lord."  (1) 
How  often  have  we  witnessed  those  who,  in  the 
language  of  the  Apostle,  (2)  against  hope  believe  in 
hope,  realize  these  consoling  promises ! 

"Auspicious  Hope !  in  thy  sweet  garden  grow 
Wreaths  for  each  toil,  a  charm  for  every  woe."   (3) 


III. 


THE  CONFIDENCE  WHICH  A  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  SHOULD 
HAVE  IN  GOD. 

"I  thank  thee,  who  hast  taught 
My  frail  mortality  to  know  itself." — Shakespeare. 

Seldom  are  we,  according  to  Thomas  a  Kempis, 
in  the  same  mood;  for  to-day  we  are  joyful  and  to- 
morrow sorrowful;  now  glowing  with  bright  hopes, 
and  then  repining  and  given  to  grieving.  Surely, 
•we  are,  after  all,  in  a  sense,  creatures  of  circumstances. 

(1)  Ps.,  xxxix,  2-lf.      (2)  Rom.,  iv,  18. 
(S)  Campbell,  Pleasures  of  Hope. 

1 


98     THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

We  are  subject  to  sensibility,  passions,  and  imagina- 
tion. All  these  varied  forces  influence  the  will; 
sometimes  help,  at  other  times  oppose,  reason;  and 
often  get  the  mastery  over  the  higher  powers  that 
should  control  them.  (1)  If  left  to  ourselves,  we  are 
easily  discouraged,  perhaps  even  alarmed.  Frequent- 
ly our  alarms  are  more  than  our  dangers,  observes 
Seneca,  and  we  suffer  oftener  in  apprehension  that  in 
fact.  Man  has  need,  therefore,  in  perplexing  circum- 
stances, of  a  sustaining  force  other  than  that  derived 
from  creatures.  It  follows  that  the  Christian  teacher 
should  draw  his  strength,  not  from  man  or  from  his 
own  resources,  but  depend  upon  God  and  confide  sole- 
ly in  Him.  If  he  so  act,  the  educator  will  accomplish 
wonders  despite  his  infirmities,  as  St.  Paul  teaches. 
Let  him,  therefore,  follow  the  excellent  counsel  of  the 
Wise  Man,  who  says:  Have  confidence  in  the  Lord 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  lean  not  upon  thy  own  pru- 
dence. (®>  God  will,  then,  be  his  strength  amid  dan- 
gers and  his  comforter  in  his  tribulations.  Hence  he 
may  also  say  with  Propertius:  My  last  confidence 
will  be  like  my  first.  Therefore  God  is  our  first,  last, 
and  only  confidence. 

"Do  we  sincerely  desire  to  follow  the  teaching  of 
the  Wise  man, ' '  writes  Rodriguez,  ' '  and  know  how  we 
can  labor  effectively  for  the  good  of  souls  ?  We  should 
be  diffident  of  ourselves,  of  our  own  strength,  of  our 
own  lights,  and  abilities.  We  should,  moreover,  dis- 
trust all  human  means,  and  place  our  whole  trust  in 
God  alone.  These  are  the  only  means  to  be  employed 

(1)  Cf.  Natural  Law  and  Legal  Practice,  Rene  I.  Holaina,  S.  J., 
pp.  101,  102. 

(2)  Proverbs,  Hi,  5. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  99 

in  the  accomplishment  of  God's  work,  and  they  are, 
at  the  same  time,  the  surest  and  most  efficacious.  These 
are,  likewise,  the  dispositions  so  desirable  in  all  those 
chosen  for  carrying  out  such  designs,  while  they  are, 
also,  the  most  essential  and  most  favorable.  Ordinar- 
ily speaking,  it  is  men,  guided  by  like  principles, 
whom  God  selects  as  the  instruments  of  His  greatest 
and  most  marvelous  works. 

"St.  Augustine,  commenting  on  the  eulogy  which 
our  Lord  passed  on  Nathanael,  when  He  said  of  him : 
Behold  an  Israelite  in  ivhom  there  is  no  guile,  (*) 
observes  that  a  man,  worthy  of  such  high  commenda- 
tion, should  have  been  naturally  among  the  first  se- 
lected for  the  exalted  dignity  of  the  Apostolate.  And, 
nevertheless,  such  was  not  the  fact,  and  why  ?  It  was, 
explains  this  Father  of  the  Church,  because  Nathan- 
ael was  a  man  of  great  learning  and  a  profound  doc- 
tor, and,  according  to  our  Lord's  design,  as  St.  Paul 
teaches,  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  the  con- 
version of  souls  were  to  be  accomplished  and  effect- 
ed, not  by  doctors  and  men  of  knowledge,  but  by  ob- 
scure and  rude  fishermen,  who  were  as  ignorant  as 
they  were  unknown. 

"David,  while  in  pursuit  of  his  enemies,  the 
Amalecites,  who  had  smitten  and  burned  Siceleg,  and 
had  taken  the  inhabitants  captives,  found  an  unfor- 
tunate man  lying,  half-dead,  in  a  field.  He  chanced 
to  be  an  Egyptian  slave  who,  owing  to  his  weakened 
state,  was  abandoned  by  his  Amalecite  master  to  die 
by  the  road-side.  David  took  care  of  him  and  gave 
him  strengthening  nourishment.  The  man's  strength 

(1)   St.  John,  i,  J,7. 


100    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

being  restored,  David  took  him  as  a  guide;  and  thus 
was  enabled  to  come  upon  the  enemy,  and  surprise 
them,  at  the  very  time,  when  they,  feeling  confident 
of  their  security  from  pursuit,  had  given  themselves 
up  to  the  pleasures  of  feasting.  David  vigorously 
attacked  them,  vanquished  them,  and  recovered  all 
the  spoils  that  had  been  taken.  David,  says  St.  Greg- 
ory, is  here  a  figure  of  Jesus  Christ.  Like  the  son 
of  Isai,  the  Son  of  God,  the  true  David,  called  into 
His  service  those  whom  the  world  had  ignored.  He 
fortified  them  with  His  saving  word,  and  appointed 
them  His  guides,  to  march  against  the  Amalecites, 
the  preachers  of  His  Gospel  against  a  world  entirely 
devoted  to  joys  and  pleasures. 

"Now,  why  is  it  that  God  takes  such  predilection 
in  selecting  weak  instruments  for  His  greatest  pro- 
jects? Simply  to  render  it  absolutely  impossible  for 
man  to  depend  upon  his  own  strength  or  to  attribute 
to  himself  any  good  whatsoever;  to  teach  him  that 
he  should  place  his  whole  trust  in  God  and  refer  to 
Him  the  glory  of  all  things.  This  disposition  is  most 
acceptable  to  God,  and  to  imprint  this  truth  more 
deeply  on  our  hearts,  He  takes  great  delight  in  bring- 
ing about  the  grandest  results  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  the  weakest  agents.  He  does  this  to 
make  more  manifest  that  it  is  He  alone  who  acts,  and 
not  His  creature,  that  He  might  show  the  riches  of 
His  glory  on  the  vessels  of  mercy,  which  He  has  pre- 
pared unto  glory."  (*) 

Let  us  draw,  then,  with  Rodriguez,  the  three  fol- 
lowing conclusions:  1.— Not  to  be  discouraged  at  the 

(1)  Rom.,  ix,  23. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  101 

sight  of  our  own  weakness;  2.— To  give  to  God  the 
glory  of  our  success;  3. — To  do  our  best  and  leave 
the  success  of  our  efforts  to  God. 


IV. 

THE   KNOWLEDGE   OP   OUR   INABILITY   SHOULD   NOT   DIS- 
HEARTEN US. 

While  frankly  acknowledging  our  utter  inability 
and  fully  realizing  the  immense  disproportion  of  our 
talents,  when  contrasted  with  the  greatness  of  the 
end  we  have  to  attain  and  the  sublimity  of  the  min- 
istry to  which  we  are  called,  we  ought  to  be  exceed- 
ingly prudent  and  cautious  not  to  allow  ourselves 
to  grow  disheartened.  This  very  knowledge  of  self 
should,  however,  be  to  us  rather  an  additional  mo- 
tive of  confidence,  and  should,  moreover,  induce  us 
to  rely  wholly  upon  Him  who  delights  in  manifesting 
His  power  by  choosing  the  meanest  instruments  in  the 
accomplishment  of  His  most  stupendous  works. 

The  answer  which  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  made  to 
a  query  of  Masseo,  one  of  his  religious  brethren, 
breathes  this  charming  spirit.  The  disciple  thorough- 
ly understood  his  master's  great  love  for  humiliation, 
and,  therefore,  resolved  to  put  it  to  a  severe  test. 

Accordingly,  he  one  day  said  to  St.  Francis :  "  It 
is  well  known  that  you  are  of  humble  birth,  that  your 
knowledge  is  but  mediocre,  and  you  certainly  can  not 
boast  of  a  very  comely  appearance.  Can  you,  then, 
explain  to  me  how  it  is  that  everybody,  nevertheless, 


102    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

is  running  after  you,  displaying  such  eagerness,  either 
to  see  or  hear  you?"  "That  you  should  seem  aston- 
ished," replied  the  Saint,  "is  very  evident  and  right- 
ly so.  But  the  reason  therefor,  my  Brother,  is  quite 
simple.  God  in  His  infinite  goodness  has  deigned  to 
regard  me,  although  I  am  the  vilest  sinner,  and  most 
contemptible  creature,  on  earth;  for  remember  the 
foolish  things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen,  that  He 
may  confound  the  wise,  and  the  weak  things  of  the 
world  hath  God  chosen,  that  He  may  confound  the 
strong,  and  the  base  things  of  the  world,  and  the 
things  that  are  contemptible  hath  God  chosen,  and 
things  that  are  not,  that  He  might  bring  to  nought 
things  that  are  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  His 
sight.  He  that  glorieth,  may  glory  in  the  Lord  to 
whom  be  honor  and  glory,  forever  and  ever. 
Amen."  f1) 

May  this  admirable  answer  be  deeply  engraved  on 
our  hearts  for  our  consolation  and  encouragement. 

"0  be  very  sure 

That  no  man  will  learn  anything  at  all, 
Unless  he  first  will  learn  humility."  (2) 


V. 

TO  GOD  MUST  BE  ATTRIBUTED  THE  GLORY  OF  OUR  SUCCESS. 

"Acquaint  thyself  with  God,  if  thou  would'st  taste 
His  works.     Admitted  once  in  His  embrace, 
Thou  shalt  perceive  that  thou  wast  blind  before : 
Thine  eyes  shall  be  instructed  ;  thine  heart 
Made  pure  shall  relish,  with  divine  delight 
Till  then  unfelt,  what  hands  divine  have  wrought." 

— Cowper. 


(1)  I.  Cor.,  i,  27,  28,  29,  SI;  Rom.,  xvi,  27. 

(2)  Owen  Meredith,  Vanini. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  103 

Whatever  good  we  may  effect  among  souls,  or 
whatever  brilliant  results  may  crown  our  achieve- 
ments, though  bordering  even  on  the  miraculous, 
we  should  never  allow  them  to  become  to  us  a  cause 
of  pride.  They  should  rather  induce  us  to  clothe 
ourselves  with  our  infirmities  and  nothingness,  as  if 
we  had  really  accomplished  nothing,  since  in  reality 
we  are  nothing  and  can  do  nothing  of  ourselves. 
Therefore,  whatever  we  may  be  or  do,  it  is  only  as 
instruments  in  God's  powerful  hand.  The  Royal 
Prophet  was  deeply  sensible  of  this  truth,  and  he 
strongly  expressed  his  conviction  thus:  We  have 
heard,  0  God,  with  our  ears :  our  fathers  have  declared 
to  us  the  work  Thou  hast  wrought  in  their  days,  and 
in  the  days  of  old.  Thy  hand  destroyed  the  Gentiles, 
and  Thou  plantedst  them:  Thou  didst  afflict  the 
people  and  cast  them  out.  For  they  got  not  the  pos- 
session  of  the  land  by  their  own  sword;  neither  did 
their  own  arm  save  them.  But  Thy  right  hand  and 
Thy  arm,  and  the  light  of  Thy  countenance,  because 
Thou  wast  pleased  with  them.  (*)  The  honor  of 
serving  Thee  was  not  due  to  any  merit  of  our  own, 
nor  did  we  possess  any  right  or  title  thereto,  save 
that  which  Thou  wast  pleased  to  confer  upon  us  by 
a  special  and  gratuitous  gift. 

Consequently,  whenever,  in  the  order  of  God's 
benign  Providence,  He  wishes  to  operate  any  great 
things  through  our  feeble  instrumentality,  we  should 
not  permit  ourselves  to  be  puffed  up.  On  the  con- 
trary, this  should  rather  have  the  tendency  to  make 
us  more  humble  by  reason  of  the  greatness  of  the 

(1)  Ps.  xliii,  2-lf. 


104    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

work  for  which  we  have  become  His  unworthy  agents. 
We  should  enter  thoughtfully  into  the  wonderful 
designs  of  His  wisdom,  and  should  be  confidently  as- 
sured that,  what  has  happened,  was  only  in  accord- 
ance with  His  inscrutable  designs  of  accomplishing  the 
most  marvelous  effects  through  the  agency  of  such 
very  insignificant  causes. 

Let  us  emulate  St.  Peter's  humility  after  he  had 
taken  the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes.  Our  Lord, 
having  commanded  him  to  cast  his  net  into  the  sea: 
Master,  said  he,  we  have  labored  all  the  night,  and 
have  taken  nothing :  but  at  Thy  word  I  will  let  down 
the  net.  And  when  they  had  done  this,  they  enclosed 
a  very  great  multitude  of  fishes,  and  their  net  broke. 
And  they  beckoned  to  their  partners  that  were  in 
the  other  ship,  that  they  should  come  and  help  them. 
And  they  came  and  filled  both  the  ships,  so  that  they 
were  almost  sinking.  Which  when  Simon  Peter  saw, 
he  fell  down  at  Jesus' s  feet,  saying:  Depart  from  me, 
for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  0  Lord.  For  he  was  ivholly 
astonished,  and  all  that  were  with  him,  at  the  draught 
of  fishes  which  they  had  taken,  t1*  "When  St.  Peter 
amazingly  beheld  the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes 
which  he,  after  wasting  a  whole  night  in  fruitless 
labor,  had  taken  at  the  Lord's  command,  he  was  so 
overpowered  at  the  effect  of  that  one  word,  that  he 
could  hardly  find  language  expressive  of  the  deep 
sense  of  his  own  nothingness. 

Consequently,  whenever  God  is  pleased  to  asso- 
ciate us  with  Himself,  as  it  were,  in  the  great  works 
which  He  is  pleased  to  accomplish,  we,  too,  should 

(1)  St.  Luke,  v,  5-9. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  105 

be  animated  with  like  feelings  of  profound  humility 
and  confusion.  How  altogether  foreign  to  St.  Peter 'a 
mind  were  any  thoughts  of  pride  or  vanity,  as  he 
contemplated  that  astonishing  draught  of  fishes !  How 
far  removed  from  us,  then,  should  be  any  idea  of 
self-complacency  in  the  subject-matter  of  God's  de- 
signs, in  which  He  so  singularly  honors  us  by  seeking 
our  co-operation!  How  strikingly  does  He  manifest, 
in  all  splendor,  the  depth  of  His  wisdom  and  the 
greatness  of  His  power,-  in  the  selection  of  nothing- 
ness as  His  special  agents!  Hence,  following  St. 
Peter's  example,  let  us  be  wholly  diffident  of  ourselves 
and  hope  all  from  God,  claiming  nothing  for  ourselves 
in  all  things,  save  infirmity  and  misery  as  being  our 
sole  inheritance.  Let  us  refer  all  the  honor  and  glory 
to  God  to  whom  alone  they  rightfully  belong. 

Contemplate,  again,  the  result  of  St.  Peter's  la- 
bors, casting  his  net  into  the  sea  at  his  own  volition 
and  pleasure,  and  deduce  therefrom  the  fruitful  les- 
son that  we  can  expect  nothing  so  long  as  we  de- 
pend upon  our  own  efforts,  wisdom,  and  self- 
sufficiency.  And,  then,  reflect  on  the  wonderful  differ- 
ence of  the  result  when  he  casts  his  net  at  the  com- 
mand of  the  Lord,  and  strive  to  understand  that  sim- 
ilarly all  our  hopes  must  be  confidently  founded  only 
on  God's  grace  and  assistance.  Now,  if  our  diffidence 
of  self  were,  in  a  manner  to  augment  immeasurably, 
then  would  our  trust  in  God  likewise  proportionately 
increase,  and  we  would  thus  draw  the  twofold  and 
inappreciable  advantage  of  being  saved,  not  from  pre- 
sumption only,  but  also  from  discouragement. 


106    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

VI. 

TO  DO  THE  BEST  ACCORDING  TO  OUR  ABILITY  AND  LEAVE 
RESULTS  TO  GOD. 

Now,  if  it  be  true  that  we  should  distrust  self, 
and  not  depend  upon  our  own  strength,  then  it  is 
equally  certain,  that  we  should,  in  the  interest  of  our 
neighbor's  salvation,  exercise  all  our  innate  talents  to 
their  utmost  capacity,  and  avail  ourselves  of  all 
the  resources  at  our  command.  But  to  expect  that 
God  should  condescend  to  do  everything,  while  we 
would  be  content  to  play  the  part  of  idle  spectators, 
would  be  not  only  to  ask  Him  to  perform  miracles, 
but  also  to  tempt  Him.  The  work  of  saving  souls 
must  undoubtedly  be  attributed  to  God,  but,  in  ac- 
cordance with  a  law  of  His  infinite  wisdom,  He  de- 
sires, as  St.  Paul  teaches,  our  co-operation  therein,  as 
the  ministers  and  dispensers  of  His  mysteries.  (1> 

Our  Lord  did  not  intend  that  St.  Peter  should 
take  the  immense  draught  of  fishes  without  some  par- 
ticipation therein.  Accordingly,  He  ordered  St.  Peter 
to  cast  the  nets,  to  teach  us,  that  we,  too,  should  not 
be  wholly  idle  or  passive.  He  desired,  moreover,  to 
forewarn  us  against  the  possible  temptation  of  at- 
tributing the  conversion  of  souls  to  our  own  in- 
dividual efforts  and  talents,  and  hence  the  purport  of 
allowing  St.  Peter  to  waste  a  night  in  useless  la- 
bor, without  achieving  any  success.  Whence  it  fol- 
lows, that  we  should  avail  ourselves  of  whatever  our 
own  strength  can  do,  or  what  our  own  knowledge 

(1)  I.  Cor.,  iv,  1. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  107 

and  ability  may  suggest,  as  though  the  success  of  the 
undertaking  depended  solely  on  our  individual  re- 
sources. At  the  same  time,  we  have  positively  no  more 
guarantee  of  its  success,  as  a  result  of  such  personal 
efforts,  than  if  we  had  really  accomplished  nothing, 
since  our  sole  hope  must  absolutely  repose  in  God 
alone.  For  when  you  have  done  all  things,  we  read  in 
St.  Luke,  that  are  commanded  you  say:  We  are  un- 
profitable servants;  we  have  done  that  which  we 
ought  to  do.  (1)  Now  let  us  note  carefully  that  our 
Lord  does  not  say :  When  we  shall  have  done  some  of 
the  things  that  have  been  commanded  us,  but  when 
we  shall  have  done  all  that  has  been  commanded  us, 
with  the  express  intention  that  this  truth  may  be 
the  more  deeply  imprinted  on  our  minds.  He  desired 
also  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  our  confidence  should 
rest  exclusively  in  God,  and,  moreover,  that  all  the 
glory  should  be  referred  to  Him  alone.  To  act  thus, 
is,  according  to  the  positive  teaching  of  the  Saints, 
conducive  to  the  practice  of  the  highest  degree  of  hu- 
mility. 

After  St.  Peter  and  St.  John  had  cured  the  cripple 
who  sat  begging  alms  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the 
Temple,  the  people  were  seized  with  great  awe  and 
admiration  of  them,  which  St.  Peter  perceiving,  thus 
addressed  the  multitude :  Ye  men  of  Israel,  why  won- 
der you  at  tliis?  or  why  look  you  upon  us,  as  if  by 
our  strength  or  power  we  had  made  this  man  to  walk  f 
The  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the 
God  of  Jacob,  the  God  of  our  Fathers,  hath  glorified 
His  son  JESUS,  whom  you  indeed  delivered  up  and 
denied  before  the  face  of  Pilate,  when  he  judged  He 

(1)  c.  xvii,  10. 


108    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

should  be  released.  And  in  the  faith  of  His  name, 
the  man  whom  you  have  seen  and  known,  hath  his 
name  strengthened;  and  the  faith  which  by  him,  hath 
given  this  perfect  soundness  in  the  sight  of  you  all.  (1> 

St.  Paul  and  St.  Barnabas  had  wrought  a  similar 
miracle  at  Lystra.  Here  also  the  people,  seeing  what 
was  done,  took  them  for  gods  come  down  upon  earth 
in  the  likeness  of  men,  and  were  busily  preparing 
victims  for  the  holocaust,  and  crowns  which  they 
intended  for  the  Apostles.  These,  however,  divining 
their  intention,  ran  before  the  multitude,  rending 
their  garments,  exclaiming:  Ye  men,  why  do  you 
these  things?  We  also  are  mortals,  men  like  unto 
you.  (2)  It  is  not  we  who  have  done  this,  but  God 
whose  feeble  instruments  we  are.  To  Him  alone, 
therefore,  belongs  the  glory  of  the  wonder  you  have 
witnessed  and  now  so  admire,  as  does  also  the  glory 
of  all  things. 

Thus,  did  these  saints  maintain  themselves  in  the 
spirit  of  humility,  even  in  presence  of  the  mighty 
works  which  God  had  operated  through  them,  as 
if  they  had  been  complete  strangers  in  their  accom- 
plishment. Thus  should,  likewise,  be  our  conduct, 
seeking  ever  to  clothe  ourselves  in  the  sense  of  our 
infirmity  and  nothingness,  notwithstanding  all  that 
we  have  done  or  may  have  effected  in  the  service  of 
souls. 

For, 

"God  never  meant  that  man  should  scale  the  heavens 
By  strides  of  human  wisdom.     In  His  works, 
Though  wondrous,  He  commands  us  In  His  word 
To  seek  Him  rather  where  His  mercy  shines."  (3) 

(1)  Acts,  Hi,  12,  13,  16,     (2)  nid.,  xiv,  1$. 
(3)  Cowper,  The  Task,  Bk.  III. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  109 

VII. 

CONFIDENCE  IN  GOD,  AN  EXCELLENT  MEANS  TO  OBTAIN 
GREAT   FAVORS. 

There  is  perhaps  no  truth  that  forces  itself  more 
upon  an  observer  of  human  nature,  than  the  universal 
impotency  noticeable  in  individual  characters.  No 
one  is  sufficient  for  himself.  Hence,  we  all  are  natur- 
ally dependent  and  as  naturally  seek  strength  and 
aid  from  others.  But  since  man  is  frail  by  nature, 
it  follows  that  he  will  often  fail  us  in  our  critical  mo- 
ments. Consequently,  it  is  rational  that  we  turn 
towards  Him,  who  is  the  source  of  all  strength  and 
place  all  our  hope  there.  God,  therefore,  becomes 
our  centre  of  hope,  whence  shall  radiate  the  many 
graces  requisite  for  us  in  the  varying,  trying  cir- 
cumstances under  which  we  will  find  ourselves  in  life. 

If  we  confide  in  Him,  He  Himself  asures  us  of 
His  aid  and  protection.  We  read  in  Deuteronomy : 
Every  place,  that  your  foot  shall  tread  on,  shall  be 
yours.  (*•>  Now,  "by  the  term  foot,"  according  to 
St.  Cyprian,  "we  are  to  understand  that  hope  which 
obtains  all  its  desires."  "Do  not  fear  to  give  wings 
to  your  hope, ' '  St.  Bernard  assures  us ; ' '  for  whatever 
it  obtains,  shall  be  yours,  and  if  you  hope  much  from 
God,  rest  assured  that  He  will  be  generous;  whereas, 
if  you  expect  little,  He  will  do  little." 

The  Gospel  is  replete  with  facts  that  are  in  evi- 
dence of  this  truth.  Listen,  for  instance,  to  the  words 
which  Jarius,  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  whom 

(1)  Dcut.,  xi,  2Jt. 


110    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

death  had  robbed  of  his  daughter,  addressed  to  Je- 
sus :  Lord,  my  daughter  is  even  now  dead;  but  come, 
lay  Thy  hand  upon  her,  and  she  shall  live.  (1)  Al- 
though possessing  both  faith  and  confidence,  and  be- 
lieving Jesus  had  the  power  of  restoring  his  daughter 
to  life,  the  ruler's  faith  and  confidence  were  never- 
theless not  altogether  perfect.  He  presumed  it  neces- 
sary to  her  resuscitation,  that  our  Lord  should  come 
to  the  house  and  lay  His  hand  upon  the  girl.  The 
Saviour,  accommodating  Himself  to  the  measure  of 
the  ruler's  faith,  condescendingly  accompanied  him  to 
the  house,  came  near  the  dead  girl,  took  her  by  the 
hand  and  raised  her  to  life. 

Again,  observe  the  woman  who  had  been  afflicted 
for  twelve  long  years  with  a  troublesome  disease, 
which  had  defied  all  the  skill  of  the  physicians  whom 
she  had  consulted.  She,  therefore,  follows  the  mul- 
titude who  press  after  Jesus,  saying  within  herself: 
// 1  shall  touch  only  His  garment,  I  shall  be  healed  (2J. 
Undismayed  at  the  frequent  repulses  she  had  unavoid- 
ably encountered,  she,  at  last,  succeeded  in  approach- 
ing the  Saviour,  and  had  barely  touched  the  hem  of 
His  garment,  when  she  felt  herself  cured  of  her  mal- 
ady. Hers  was,  indeed,  perfect  faith,  but  she  was  still 
wanting  in  absolute  confidence.  Nevertheless,  her 
faith  and  confidence  had  fully  attained  their  object 
within  the  limits  she  had  prescribed. 

Thus  far,  we  have  been  considering  instances  of 
faith  whose  quality  was  not  entirely  perfect.  The 
Evangelist  St.  Matthew,  however,  relates  a  charming 
example  of  perfect  faith  in  all  its  plenitude;  yes, 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  ix,  18.     (2)  St.  Matt.,  ix,  21. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  Ill 

a  faith  that  is  altogether  free  from  doubt  and  restric- 
tion; a  faith,  moreover,  which  recognizes  in  God's 
power,  neither  conditions  nor  limitations  other  than 
those  of  His  own  will.  This  beautiful  model  of  faith 
and  confidence  in  God  is  no  other  than  the  Roman 
centurion  who  asks  Jesus  for  the  cure  of  a  servant. 
Notice  carefully  that  the  centurion  does  not  request 
our  Lord  to  come  to  his  house,  nor  the  favor  of  al- 
lowing the  sick  servant  to  touch  the  hem  of  the  gar- 
ment, but  simply  declares:  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy 
that  Thou  shouldst  enter  under  my  roof;  but  only 
say  the  word,  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed.  This 
faith  was  so  admirable,  that  our  Lord  marvelled  there- 
at, and  said  to  those  surrounding  Him :  Amen  I  say 
to  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great  faith  in  Israel;  and 
to  the  centurion:  Go,  and  as  thou  hast  believed,  so 
be  it  done  to  thee.  t1*  This  roman  soldier,  having  un- 
bounded confidence  in  Christ's  power,  firmly  believed 
that  one  word  sufficed  to  effect  the  cure  of  his  ser- 
vant. The  word  was  spoken,  and,  accordingly,  the  ser- 
vant was  healed.  Thus  God  delights  to  act,  whenever 
we  give  evidence  of  a  like  unlimited  confidence  in 
Him.  Let  Thy  mercy,  0  Lord,  implores  the  Psalmist, 
be  upon  us,  as  we  have  hoped  in  Thee.  (2)  The  more 
our  soul  is  dilated  by  confidence,  says  St.  Cyprian, 
the  more  God  is  pleased  to  pour  abundantly  into  it  the 
celestial  waters  of  His  saving  grace. 

Again,  St.  Peter  walks  upon  the  water  at  the  com- 
mand of  his  Divine  Master.  Now,  observe  this  inci- 
dent, that  St.  Peter,  so  long  as  his  faith  does  not  grow 
weak,  walks  as  firmly  upon  the  water  as  if  he  were 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  viii,  8,  13.     (2)  Pa.,  xxxii,  22. 


112    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

on  land;  whereas,  from  the  very  instant  his  faith 
fails  him,  by  reason  of  the  strong  wind  and  waves, 
so  also  from  that  moment  does  the  sea  give  way  from 
under  him,  yawning  to  engulph  him.  Our  Lord,  in 
answer  to  St.  Peter's  entreating  cry  for  help,  ten- 
derly reproaches  him:  0  thou  of  little  faith,  why 
didst  thou  doubt?  (*)  As  if  He  had  said:  You  sink 
only  because  of  your  want  of  confidence.  Alas !  how 
often  could  not  God  have  addressed  a  similar  re- 
proach to  us,  when,  being  overwhelmed  by  trials  and 
temptations,  we  deemed  resistance  to  the  threatened 
storm  as  impossible  or  our  condemnation  to  ruin  as 
inevitable !  For  the  peril  which  affrights  us,  consists 
rather  in  our  conception  of  it,  than  in  the  fear  itself, 
or  perhaps  in  the  weakness  of  our  hearts,  where  hope 
really  wavers.  But  a  firm  confidence  in  the  goodness 
and  power  of  God,  would  evidently  be  inviting  His 
aid,  and,  in  a  manner,  lovingly  compelling  Him  to 
withdraw  us  from  danger  and  shower  upon  us  His 
choicest  graces. 

The  Moabites  and  Ammonites  had  united  their 
strength  against  the  common  foe,  King  Josaphat  of 
Juda.  This  prince  was  seized  with  a  great  fear,  for 
he  was  well  aware,  that  his  army  was  too  feble  to 
cope  with  such  a  formidable  opposition.  But  neither 
he  nor  his  subjects  lost,  in  this  their  perplexing 
crisis,  all  hope,  but,  confidently  turning  to  God,  they 
earnestly  entreated  and  implored  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
to  strengthen  them  by  His  all-powerful  arm.  In  an- 
swer to  their  fervent  supplications,  God  signified  His 
approval  by  sending  them  Jahaziel,  who  delivered  to 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  xiv,  SI. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  113 

them  this  prophetic  message  from  the  Lord:  Fear 
ye  not,  and  be  not  dismayed  at  this  multitude:  for 

the  battle  is  not  yours,  but  God's It 

shall  not  be  you,  continues  the  prophet,  that  shall 
fight,  but  only  stand  with  confidence,  and  you  shall 
see  the  help  of  the  Lord  over  you.  (1)  The  promised 
succor  was  not  delayed.  For,  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, when  Juda  came  to  the  watch  tower,  they  saw, 
lying  in  the  vast  plain  before  them,  the  dead  bodies 
of  their  enemy,  who  had  mutually  turned  their  arms 
against  one  another,  thus  destroying  one  another,  that 
not  one  was  left  who  had  escaped  death. 

This  incident  clearly  emphasizes  the  fact,  how 
little  it  is  that  God  really  demands  of  us  to  accord 
us  His  protection  and  aid  against  our  enemy,  and  to 
award  us  the  crown  of  victory.  His  sole  condition 
is  that  we  put  our  unwavering  trust  in  Him.  Do  we 
still  entertain  any  doubt?  Listen,  then,  to  the  rea- 
son which  God  Himself  assigns,  for  promising  His 
assistance  to  those  who  are  exposed  to  temptations, 
and  subject  to  tribulations,  but  who,  nevertheless, 
confidingly  hope  in  Him:  Because  lie  hoped  in  Me, 
said  the  Lord,  /  will  deliver  him.  I  will  protect  him 
because  he  hath  known  My  Name.  (2> 

0  ravishing  liberality  of  God!  exclaims  St.  Ber- 
nard. 0  admirable  goodness  which  never  fails  those 
who  place  their  trust  in  it!  For,  in  Thee  have  our 
fathers  hoped,  proclaims  the  Royal  Psalmist;  they 
have  hoped,  and  Thou  hast  delivered  them.  ...  . 
They  have  trusted  in  Thee,  and  were  not  confound- 
ed <s> My  children,  behold  the  genera- 

(1)  II.  Paral.,  xx,  15  &  17.     (2)  Ps.,  xc,  14.    (3)  Ps.,  xxi,  5  d  6. 
8 


tions  of  men:  and  know  ye  that  no  one  hath  hoped 

in  the  Lord,  and  hath  been  confounded 

Who  hath  called  upon  Him,  and  He  despised  him?  (*•) 

Now,  why  does  God  deal  so  generously  with  those 
who  thus  place  all  their  hope  in  Him?  It  is  because 
as  we  become  diffident  of  our  strength  and  centre  all 
our  hope  in  God,  expecting  nothing  save  from  Him, 
we  simply  refer  everything  to  Him.  We  divest  our- 
selves, as  it  were,  of  all  responsibility  concerning 
the  work,  wherein  God's  honor  and  glory  are  involved, 
and  we  place  Him  under  a  kind  of  obligation  to  as- 
sure its  success.  The  conversion  of  souls  is  Thy  con- 
cern, 0  Lord,  and  not  ours;  for  of  what  avail  are 
all  our  efforts  in  presence  of  a  work  so  far  transcend- 
ing all  human  strength  and  wisdom?  What  power 
could  we  possibly  have,  either  to  touch  or  change 
hearts,  nay,  in  a  manner,  re-create  them?  Thou 
knowest,  0  Lord,  that  it  is  a  work  which  can  be  ef- 
fected only  by  Thy  Almighty  power!  Accomplish, 
then,  Thy  work  and  lend  Thy  co-operating  hand  there- 
to, which  is  peculiarly  and  singularly  Thine  by  a 
special  predilection ! 

Again,  if  Josue  formerly  had  just  cause  for  hum- 
bling himself  to  the  dust,  that  he  might  succeed  in 
averting  God's  anger  from  the  people  of  Israel,  then, 
we  have  undoubtedly  far  more  weighty  reasons  to 
humble  ourselves,  and  to  say:  "Overwhelm  us,  0 
Lord,  with  shame  and  confusion,  and  deliver  us  up 
in  due  time  to  our  enemy;  for,  we  have  richly  de- 
served this  fate  by  our  many  and  frequent  prevarica- 
tions. But  what  shall  become  of  the  glory  of  Thy 

(1)  EccU.,  ii,  11  &  12. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  115 

Name?  What  shall  be  the  judgment  of  ths  nations, 
when  they  shall  witness  the  destruction  and  captivity 
of  Thy  people?  They  will  assuredly  declare  that 
Thou  hadst  not  the  power  to  lead  them  into  the  land 
which  Thou  hadst  promised  them."  Let  us  humbly 
say  with  King  David:  Not  to  us,  0  Lord,  not  to 
us;  ~but  to  thy  name  give  glory;  (*)  and  let  us  equally 
admit  with  the  prophet  Baruch :  To  us  confusion  of 
face,  but  to  the  Lord  belongeth  justice.  (*> 

Whence  we  may  rightly  infer  that,  from  whatever 
point  of  view  we  examine  this  important  subject-mat- 
ter, it  is  palpably  evident  that  the  most  efficacious 
means  of  obtaining  God's  grace  and  blessing,  con- 
sists in  an  unwavering,  absolute  confidence  in  His  un- 
bounded, infinite  goodness.  Let  us  be  consoled  by  the 
assurance  of  the  Psalmist :  The  Lord  taketh  pleasure 
in  them  that  fear  Him :  and  in  them  that  hope  in  His 
mercy.  <3> 

Now,  if  men  generally  should  have  an  abiding 
trust  in  God,  then,  for  a  stronger  reason,  should  the 
Christian  teacher,  above  all  others,  be  distinguished 
by  this  unbounded  confidence.  Engaged,  as  he  neces- 
sarily is,  in  the  various  functions  of  his  high  calling, 
he  should  be  cautious  not  to  undertake  any  task,  nor 
take  a  single  step,  nor  do  anything  whatsoever,  un- 
less sanctioned  or  prescribed  by  obedience,  and  that 
at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances.  This  must 
be  his  normal,  undeviating  line  of  conduct,  for,  in 
such  prescriptions,  he  will  find  a  definite  course,  to- 
gether with  all  the  necessary  means,  principles,  and 
well-established  methods,  to  attain  the  glorious  end 
of  his  exalted  ministry. 

(1)  Ps.,  cxiii,  9.     (2)  c.  II,  6.     (S)    Ps.  cxlvi,  11. 


116    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

When  Moses  was  commanded  to  lead  the  Israelites 
into  the  Promised  Land,  God  did  not  leave  him  alto- 
gether to  his  own  resources,  but  gave  him  ample 
instructions,  descending  even  to  the  minutest  details 
respecting  his  office  and  everything  pertaining  there- 
to. We  notice  that  the  Lord  ordered  this  great  leader 
of  his  people  to  construct  the  tabernacle,  the  ark 
of  the  covenant,  the  propitiatory,  and  the  table  of 
the  loaves  of  proposition,  as  well  as  the  vessels  des- 
tined for  the  service  of  the  tabernacle.  And  not  only 
did  God  command  their  construction,  but  He  even 
gave  precise  instructions  concerning  the  measure  and 
the  proportion  of  everything  to  be  made.  Moreover, 
Holy  Scripture  explicitly  informs  us  that  God  did 
not  rest  there.  To  assure  Himself,  as  it  were,  that 
even  the  minutest  details  would  be  strictly  carried 
out,  He  called  by  name  Beseleel,  associating  with  him 
Ooliab,  and  filled  them  with  His  spirit,  with  wisdom 
and  understanding  and  knowledge  in  all  manner  of 
work,  to  devise  whatever  may  be  artificially  made  of 
gold  and  silver  and  brass,  of  marble  and  precious 
stones,  and  a  variety  of  wood.  (1) 

If  God  so  generously  endowed  the  special  work- 
men whom  He  had  appointed  to  construct  the  material 
tabernacle  and  all  its  appurtenances,  what  may  not 
Christian  teachers  expect?  Are  they  not  also  laborers 
of  predilection,  selected  from  among  so  many  mil- 
lions, to  work  at  the  spiritual  tabernacle  of  souls,  at 
the  living  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  establish  the 
Kingdom  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  men?  We  have, 
then,  every  reason  for  hoping,  that,  in  the  measure  in 

(1)  Cf.  Exodus,  xxxi,  1-7. 


SUCCESS  IS  IMPOSSIBLE.  117 

which  spiritual  things  exceed  material,  so  is  God  still 
more  willing  to  bestow,  in  abundance,  upon  us  the 
graces  requisite  for  the  worthy  and  efficacious  ac- 
complishment of  the  duties  of  our  sublime  ministry. 

Let  us  then  be  full  of  courage  and  confidence ;  let 
us  banish  from  our  minds  this  pernicious,  baneful 
thought:  Success  is  impossible,  owing  to  the  great 
difficulties  of  the  class.  Let  us  do  well,  what  we  can ; 
trust  in  God,  and  we  will,  in  due  season,  receive  all 
the  aid  that  our  arduous  task  will  demand. 

Yield  to  God,  by  wisdom  and  courage. 

"0  how  humbly  and  lowly  ought  I  to  think  of 
myself,"  says  Thomas  a  Kempis;  "how  little  ought 
I  to  esteem  whatever  good  I  may  seem  to  have. 

"  0 !  how  low  ought  I  to  cast  myself  down  under 
the  bottomless  depths  of  Thy  judgments,  0  Lord, 
where  I  find  myself  to  be  nothing  else  but  nothing! 

"How  can  I  be  puffed  up  with  the  vain  talk  of 
men,  whose  heart  in  truth  is  subjected  to  God  ? 

"All  the  world  will  not  move  him  whom  truth 
hath  established  in  humility. 

"Neither  will  he  be  moved  with  the  tongues  of 
all  that  praise  him,  who  hath  settled  his  whole  hope 


(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  C.  XIV.,  S,  lt. 


118    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


SIXTH  OBJECTION. 

LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE  MILITATES  AGAINST  SUCCESS. 

"For  all  men  the  law  of  work  is  plain ; 

It  gives  them  food,  strength,  knowledge,  vict'ry,  peace ; 
It  makes  joy  possible,  and  lessens  pain ; 

From  passion's  lawless  power  it  wins  release, 
Confirms  the  heart,  and  widens  reason's  reign. 

Makes  man  like  God,  whose  work  can  never  cease." 

— Bishop  Spalding. 

Teaching  is  essentially  an  intellectual  work.  It 
brings  into  action  the  whole  man.  It  calls  into  exer- 
cise all  the  powers  of  the  soul,  all  the  faculties  of  the 
intellect,  and  all  the  qualities  of  the  heart.  Therefore, 
it  demands  that  he  who  rightly  estimates  its  true 
greatness  and  realizes  its  far-reaching  effects,  must 
needs  possess  qualities  and  abilities  of  a  high  order, 
and  a  mind  that  is  matured  and  developed,  or,  at 
least,  is  capable  of  fair  development,  of  culture  and 
refinement.  All  right-thinking  men  admit  that  the 
teacher  plays  an  important  role,  for  he  is  entrusted 
with  the  instruction  and  education  of  the  rising  gener- 
ation, the  future  men  and  women  of  the  nation.  Hence 
it  is  of  primary  importance  that  the  Christian  teach- 
er be  a  man  of  strong  character  and  of  unquestionable 
moral  worth.  For,  "what  the  teacher  is,  not  what 
he  utters  and  inculcates,  is  the  important  thing, ' '  ac- 
cording to  the  strong  language  of  Bishop  Spalding. 
"The  life  he  lives,  and  whatever  reveals  that  to  his 
pupils;  his  unconscious  behavior  even;  above  all, 
what  in  his  inmost  soul  he  hopes,  believes,  and  loves, 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  119 

have  far  deeper  and  more  influence  than  mere  les- 
sons can  ever  have."  It  is  obvious,  then,  that  "the 
true  educator,"  he  tells  us  elsewhere,  "even  in  giving 
technical  instruction,  strives  not  merely  to  make  a 
workman,  but  to  make  also  a  man,  whose  being  shall 
be  touched  to  finer  issues  by  spiritual  powers,  who 
shall  be  upheld  by  faith  in  the  worth  and  sacredness 
of  life,  and  in  the  education  by  it  is  transformed,  en- 
riched, purified,  and  ennobled.." 

Now,  this  presumes  that  the  Christian  teacher,  in 
particular,  be  a  man  of  attainments,  knowledge,  ex-- 
perience,  and,  above  all,  a  man  of  great  virtue.  The 
very  first  requirement  of  any  workman  is  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  various  implements  used  in  his  par- 
ticular art  or  trade.  To  acquire  this  he  passes  long 
years  of  apprenticeship.  Thus  he  obtains  both  knowl- 
edge and  experience.  Consequently,  the  Christian 
teacher  must  needs  be  a  student  in  the  strictest 
sense  of  the  term.  He  should  not  remain  content 
with  what  he  may  have  already  acquired  through 
preliminary  training,  but  should  ever  drink  deep  at 
the  running  stream  of  knowledge,  and  at  its  very 
source. 

Aristotle  wrote,  in  the  beginning  of  his  treatise 
on  Metaphysics,  that  all  men  naturally  desire  to 
know;  they  have  always  a  strong  inclination  to  learn 
something  new.  Thus  we  see  that  by  a  law  of  our 
intellect,  we  are  impelled  to  study,  to  seek  knowledge, 
and  the  Christian  teacher  should  be  the  very  last 
to  claim  an  exemption.  But  he  must  not  have  an 
exaggerated  idea  of  the  knowledge  required  of  him 
before  he  undertake  the  work  of  instruction. 


120    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

It  is  quite  clear,  that  all  men  are  not  equally 
gifted,  and  that  every  teacher  is  not  a  genius,  neither 
is  it  essential  to  his  ministry.  Withal,  he  has  an 
intellect  capable  of  development  and  culture.  Now, 
it  is  equally  obvious  that  he  can  not  know  everything, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  we  are,  by  nature,  finite, 
therefore,  limited  in  our  mental  operations  and 
activity.  But  we  are,  also,  fully  aware  that  there 
is  nothing  to  prevent  the  cultivation  of  our 
intellect,  if  there  exist  the  strong  and  deter- 
mined 'will  to  use  the  means.  For,  in.  mind  as  in 
matter,  'there  is  no  field  however  sterile  that  may 
not  be  rendered  fertile  by  due  and  careful  cultivation. 
Cicero  was  unquestionably  a  student,  and  yet  he  ad- 
.mits  that  he  could  not  grasp  everything,  and  thus 
frankly  avows  it:  "I  am  not  ashamed,  as  some  are, 
to  confess  my  ignorance  of  what  I  do  not  know." 
"It  is  nothing,"  says  the  thoughtful  Marquis  de 
Vauvenargues,  "to  be  ignorant  of  many  things,  if  at 
the  same  time  we  are  capable  of  receiving  them,  and 
all  that  is  wanting  is  to  learn  them."  (1> 

This  presupposes  that  we  have  made  the  neces- 
sary efforts  to  acquire  knowledge  with  all  due  dili- 
gence. There  never  was  a  genius,  no  matter  how 
universal,  who  was  wholly  free  from  all  leaven  of 
ignorance.  The  industrious  and  painstaking  scholar 
may  rightly  affirm  with  Locke  that  a  man  may  live 
long,  and  die  at  last  in  ignorance  of  many  truths, 
which  his  mind  was  capable  of  knowing,  and  that  with 
certainty. 

All  that  we  have  said  must  not  be  considered  a  pal- 

(1)   Introduction  a  la  connaissance  de  1'esprit  humain. 


LACK  OP  KNOWLEDGE.  121 

liation  of  ignorance,  but  rather  as  an  encouragement 
to  the  young  teacher  who  thinks  that  he  should  know 
at  twenty  what,  with  every  effort,  he  may  scarcely 
attain  at  three  score  and  ten.  But 

"There  Is  no  remedy  for  time  misspent ; 
No   healing  for  the   waste   of   idleness, 
Whose  very  languor  is  a  punishment 
Heavier  than  active  souls  can  feel  or  guess."  (1) 

Surely,  no  Christian  teacher  to-day  can  be  found 
who  is  not  positively  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  ac- 
quiring knowledge  and  much  knowledge.  But  how 
to  attain  it  is  frequently  a  perplexing  question  to 
young  teachers,  or  for  that  matter,  to  all  of  us.  Re- 
member, then,  method  is  the  first  essential.  Desul- 
tory reading  and  study  have  never  yet  made  a  scholar. 
After  having  gone  through  a  good  course  of  studies, 
the  student  will  have  learned  his  special  "aptitudes 
and  talents.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  no  two  tastes 
are  exactly  alike,  and,  therefore,  much  rests  with 
the  student  to  make  himself  "a  full  man,"  as  Bacon 
expresses  it.  But  the  moment  that  he  has  ascertained 
the  bent  of  his  mind,  then  it  is  incumbent  upon  him 
to  draw  up  a  course  of  studies,  correlating  all  second- 
ary branches  to  the  primary  one,  and  to  pursue  it 
with  unrelenting  vigor  and  perseverance.  He  should 
be  careful  to  master  the  principles,  and  accept  noth- 
ing, unless  the  demonstrations  are  clear,  positive,  and 
supported  by  solid  facts  and  arguments.  Never  trust 
second-hand  authority,  but  invariably  go  to  the  very 
sources.  Never  glide  over  difficulties,  but  throw  the 
whole  soul  into  the  work  until  it  is  thoroughly  mas- 

(1)  Aubrey  de  Vere,  A  Song  of  Faith. 


122    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

tered.  Concentration  of  mind  is  a  necessary  quality, 
for  without  it  we  study  in  vain.  Indeed,  there  is 
no  scholarship  possible  without  it.  Learn,  above  all, 
to  think. 

Brother  Azarias  (1)  states  very  positively  that  "to 
learn  how  to  learn  and  to  learn  how  to  think,  this  is 
the  sum  of  all  education."  He  lays  down  the  fol- 
lowing concise  method:  "Accustom  yourself  to  the 
habit  of  weighing  carefully  all  you  read  or  hear. 
Be  not  carried  away  by  every  novelty.  Learn  to 
sift  the  chaff  from  the  grain.  Remember  that  he  is 
not  the  most  learned  man  who  has  read  the  greatest 
number  of  books.  Only  in  proportion  as  you  digest 
and  assimilate  to  your  thoughts  what  you  read  do  you 
acquire  genuine  knowledge."  (2)  Bishop  Spalding 
confirms  this  method,  when  he  asserts  that  "right 
thinking,  like  right  doing,  is  the  result  of  innumer- 
able efforts,  innumerable  failures,  the  final  outcome 
of  which  is  a  habit  of  right  thought  and  conduct." 
Follow  likewise  his  excellent  advice:  "Strive  not 
to  be  original  or  profound,  but  to  think  justly  and 
to  express  clearly  what  you  see ;"  and  so  it  may  hap- 
pen that  your  view  shall  pierce  deeper  than  you 
know. ' ' 

Nevertheless,  in  all  his  endeavors  to  cultivate  his 
own  mind  and  to  foster  habits  of  attentive  study  in 
his  pupils,  the  Christian  teacher  must  take  care  lest 
the  too  close  and  constant  attention  to  the  higher 
pursuit  of  knowledge  chill  the  heart.  For,  not  only 
should  he  exercise  all  the  faculties  of  the  intellect,  but 


(1)  Psychology  of  Education. 

(2)  Phases  of  Thought  and  Criticism. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  123 

he  should  specially  cherish  those  endearing,  ennobling 
qualities  of  the  heart.  If  he  would  exercise  any 
influence  over  his  pupils,  the  young  Christian  teacher 
should  never  forget  that  it  is  through  the  heart 
this  is  obtained  rather  than  by  an  appeal  to  their 
intellects.  He  must  likewise  bear  in  mind  that  such 
influence  is  strengthened  by  those  qualities  of  his 
own  spiritual  nature  which  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  his  pupil.  It  is  beyond  dispute  that  mind  in- 
fluences mind.  But  the  power  which  the  Christian 
teacher  exerts  over  the  minds  of  pupils  is  never  so 
lasting  as  that  exercised  over  the  heart.  Herein,  then, 
lies  the  power  and  permanency,  as  well  as  the  ex- 
cellency of  his  ministry;  at  least,  it  is  to  the  heart 
of  children  that  he  should  direct  his  special  attention. 
Vauvenargues  seemed  to  have  recognized  this,  for 
he  said  that  the  greatest  thoughts  come  from  the 
heart.  (1)  Again,  he  was  anxious  to  console  teachers 
who  were  not  remarkable  for  great  learning,  for 
he  was  quite  soothing  when  stating  that  "one  should 
console  himself  for  not  possessing  great  talent,  as 
he  would  console  himself  for  not  occupying  a  dis- 
tinguished position;  for  through  the  heart,  one  rises 
above  both  the  one  and  the  other."  (2)  De  Maistre 
expresses  a  similar  thought:  "The  same  with  truth 
that  man  can  not  grasp,  save  with  the  intelligence  of 
the  heart. ' '  The  learned  and  cultured  Bishop  Spald- 
ing  has  this  beautiful  thought  on  the  same  subject :  (3) 
"Knowledge,  like  religion,  leads  us  away  from  what 
appears  to  what  is,  from  what  passes  to  what  re« 


(1)  Introduction  a  la  connaissance  de  V esprit  humain. 

(2)  Ibid.     (3)  Means  and  Ends  of  Education. 


124    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

mains,  from  what  flatters  the  senses  to  that  which 
speaks  to  the  soul.  Wisdom  and  religion  converge,  as 
love  and  knowledge  meet  in  God;  and  to  the  wise  as 
to  the  religious  man,  no  great  evil  can  happen." 

Thus  it  is  that  the  Christian  teacher  becomes  a 
moral  power,  influencing  and  developing  the  char- 
acter of  his  pupils.  After  all,  if  the  children's  char- 
acter be  not  formed,  that  is,  if  the  will  be  not  edu- 
cated, it  ceases  to  be  education  and  becomes  a  failure. 
Nay  more,  it  is  apt  to  ruin  the  child.  For  only  when 
the  pupil  is  spiritually  strengthened  and  fortified 
to  enable  him  to  meet  the  temptations  of  life,  can 
it  be  said  that  he  is  properly  educated.  Consequently, 
with  an  educated  will  and  an  enlightened  mind,  the 
pupil  goes  forth  like  a  young  giant,  feeling  within 
himself  a  power  to  do  what  is  right  and  willing  to  do 
it.  He  is  then  a  strong  man,  according  to  Bishop 
Spalding,  for  he  knows  how  and  is  able  to  become 
and  be  himself;  the  magnanimous  man  is  he  who 
being  strong,  knows  how  and  is  able  to  issue  forth 
from  himself,  as  from  a  fortress,  to  guide,  protect,  en- 
courage, and  save  others.  Furthermore,  he  will  fully 
realize  that  "the  end  of  man  is  the  pursuit  of  per- 
fection, through  communion  with  God,  his  fellows,  and 
nature,  by  means  of  knowledge  and  conduct,  of  faith, 
admiration,  and  love."  The  teacher  who  can  ac- 
complish such  results,  however  mediocre  his  talents 
and  limited  his  knowledge,  may  justly  claim  the 
crown  of  victory.  "While  knowledge  would  immeasur- 
ably aid  him,  the  Christian  teacher  who  is  full  of  the 
spirit  of  God,  a  man  of  prayer,  has  a  weapon  which 
is  often  denied  more  learned  and  cultured  teachers. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  125 

This  should  stimulate  him  to  acquire  still  greater 
knowledge,  and  instead  of  "going  to  grieving,"  he 
should  be  encouraged  and  strengthened. 

Even  when  the  powerful  succor  of  Divine  grace  is 
added  to  his  well-planned  and  intelligent  efforts,  the 
Christian  teacher  should  be  on  his  guard  against  an- 
other insidious  foe.  This  is  hesitation,  a  lack  of  en- 
ergy, a  disgust  for  his  work  which  will  occasionally 
creep  in  and  tend  to  defeat  all  the  resolves  made  in 
the  time  of  fervor.  It  is  then  that  such  teachers 
who  assign  lack  of  knowledge  as  the  cause  of  their 
ill  success,  generally  fail.  They  may  see  their  course, 
the  way  is  plain;  and  still  they  stand  by  and  al- 
low the  opportunity  of  acquiring  the  necessary  knowl- 
edge to  escape  them.  Now,  the  only  remedy  for  these 
hesitating  teachers  is  to  plunge  in  and  do  the  best 
they  can.  This  is,  likewise,  the  counsel  of  Sydney 
Smith.  Delays  are  dangerous,  for  they  neutralize,  if 
they  do  not  altogether  paralyze,  our  best  purposes.  If 
we  mean  to  become  successful  teachers  and  to  do  our 
work  intelligently,  then  we  must  seize  every  favor- 
able moment  that  may  chance  to  present  itself.  ' '  The 
difference  between  him  who  succeeds  and  him  who 
fails,"  observes  a  thinker,  "is  that  the  one  promptly 
and  resolutely  conquers  the  dread,  while  the  other 
allows  himself  to  be  conquered  by  it."  We  can  all 
labor,  and  persevering,  persistent  labor  and  resolve 
will  remove  all  possibility  of  failure. 

Knowledge  is  within  the  reach  of  all.  Applica- 
tion conquers  all  obstacles.  Enter  into  the  work 
with  enthusiasm  and  there  is  nothing  that  can  with- 
stand it.  Enthusiasm  makes  itself  felt  and  changes 


126    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

the  whole  complexion  of  a  class.  What  the  teacher 
has,  that  he  can  impart,  but  let  him  do  this  with 
enthusiasm.  Bishop  Spalding  expresses  this  truth 
admirably,  when  he  tells  us  that  "the  teacher  makes 
the  school;  and  when  high,  noble,  pure,  devout,  and 
enlightened  men  educate,  the  conditions  favorable 
to  mental  and  moral  growth  will  be  found. "  "  Many 
a  man  has  looked  his  soul  into  the  face,"  writes 
Tilley,  (1)  "and  distrusting  his  own  powers  has  ig- 
nobly given  up  the  whole  battle  in  despair,  and  made  a 
failure  of  life,  when  success  was  right  at  hand.  A 
treacherous  self-consciousness  was  no  doubt  at  the  bot- 
tom of  it.  Let  no  man  forget  himself  and  how  he 
is  working  altogether,  if  he  would  succeed."  Con- 
stantly bear  in  mind  these  significant  words  of  a 
certain  writer:  "Knowledge  is  not  only  the  source 
of  our  highest  and  purest  joys,  but  without  it  we 
can  attain  neither  moral  nor  material  good  in  the 
noblest  forms."  To  this  we  may  add  the  weighty 
authority  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas:  "Much  avails 
human  study,  when  a  man  carefully,  frequently,  rev- 
erently applies  his  mind  to  the  testimony  of  his  an- 
cestors, not  neglecting  it  through  indolence,  or  despis- 
ing it  through  pride." 'M 

But  "not  only  is  there  an  art  in  knowing,  lout 
also  a  certain  art  in  teaching,"  according  to  the 
correct  judgment  of  Cicero.  The  experienced  teacher 
has  acquired  this  secret  only  after  many  trials,  or 
even  perhaps  after  many  failures.  We  have  an  old 
adage  which  says  that  "experience  by  suffering  is 


(1)  Masters  of  the  Situation. 
(2}  Sum.,  ii,  2.,  q.  49,  o,  3. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  127 

instructive."  Hardships  of  this  kind  however  be- 
come meritorious  and  his  labor  will  eventually  be 
productive  of  fruit,  if  the  true  Christian  teacher 
be  actuated  by  high  aims  and  ennobling  principles. 
These  guiding  motives  will  also  enable  him  to  ap- 
preciate the  fact  that  in  his  teaching  not  only  is 
the  child  concerned,  but  society  likewise.  For  through 
children  the  regeneration  of  society  can  most  hap- 
pily be  effected.  This  truth  is  beyond  cavil.  When 
the  Christian  teacher  is  a  man  of  high,  noble  as- 
pirations, purified  by  faith,  strengthened  by  hope, 
and  enlightened  by  love,  what  human  heart  can 
withstand  his  power  or  influence?  It  is  simply 
irresistible.  Being  possessed,  then,  of  these  high 
aims"  and  noble  aspirations,  is  it  not  quite  natural 
that  the  teacher  inspire  the  pupils  with  similar  ones  ? 
Assuredly,  for  ''it  is  the  educator's  business  to  cherish 
the  aspirations  of  the  young,  to  inspire  them  with 
confidence  in  themselves,  and  to  make  them  feel  and 
understand  that  no  labor  can  be  too  good  or  too  long, 
if  its  result  be  cultivation  and  enlightenment  of  mind. 
For  them  ideals  are  real ;  their  life  is  as  yet  wrapped 
in  the  bud ;  and  to  encourage  them  to  believe  that  if 
they  are  but  true  to  themselves,  the  flower  and  fruit 
will  be  fair  and  health-bringing,  is  to  open  for  them 
the  fountain  of  hope  and  noble  endeavor. ' '  Moreover, 
he  teaches  to  good  purpose,  elsewhere  observes  Bishop 
Spalding,  who  inspires  the  love  of  excellence,  and 
who  sends  his  pupils  forth  from  the  school's  narrow 
walls  with  such  desire  for  self-improvement  that  the 
whole  world  becomes  to  them  a  God-appointed  uni- 
versity. 


128    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Although  the  ideal  herein  established  may  be  high, 
it  is  certainly  not  beyond  the  possibility  of  the  true 
Christian  teacher  who  is  actuated  by  disinterested 
motives,  and  guided  by  that  lively  spirit  of  faith, 
that  most  essential  quality  in  this  all-important  work, 
namely,  the  cultivation  of  the  will  and  heart  of  the 
pupils.  Consequently,  the  teacher  must  neglect  noth- 
ing to  prepare  himself  for  these  high  functions.  The 
greater  the  knowledge,  the  greater  will  be  the  ef- 
ficiency. 

Bear  in  mind,  however,  that  Paul  may  plant, 
Apollo  water,  but  God  alone  can  give  the  increase. 
Hence,  no  matter  how  brilliant  or  profound  a  teacher 
may  be,  he  can  fulfill  only  a  part  of  his  ministry, 
unless  he  be  actuated  by  supernatural  motives.  Thus 
it  may  happen  that  a  teacher,  not  so  gifted  in  natural 
talents  by  the  Creator,  may  accomplish  more  suc- 
cessfully the  end  of  his  mission,  than  one  more  rich- 
ly endowed.  His  success  may  rightly  be  attributed 
to  the  purity  of  intention  and  of  faith. 

Every  teacher  should  emulate  the  example  of  St. 
John  Berchmans,  who  always  had  before  him  the  fol- 
lowing sentences  on  his  desk:  "If  men  of  the  world 
spend  long  years  in  mastering  human  sciences, 
through  self-love  and  vain-glory,  shall  I  not  apply 
myself  to  their  acquisition  for  God's  glory?  There- 
fore, devote  yourself  seriously  and  earnestly  to  your 
studies,  and  be  especially  careful  not  to  lose  a  single 
moment  of  a  time  so  precious.  Note  everything  that 
may  impress  or  strike  you  as  useful  and  interesting. 
For  to  labor  to  instruct  yourself  that  thus  you  may 
glorify  God  the  better  and  labor  to  greater  advantage 
in  the  saving  of  souls,  is  a  work  of  great  merit." 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  129 

This,  then,  should  be  the  secret  motive-power  of 
every  Christian  teacher,  for  it  gives  him  an  influ- 
ence far  exceeding  that  springing  from  mere  knowl- 
edge alone.  Never  forget  that  knowledge  united  to 
solid  piety,  virtue,  and  a  habit  of  faith,  constitutes  a 
perfect  teacher,  at  least  humanly  speaking.  This  is  also 
the  class  of  teachers  which  the  present  condition  of 
society  and  state  of  intellectual  progress  and  civiliza- 
tion imperatively  demand.  This  is  the  class  of  teach- 
ers that  can  most  efficiently  further  the  interests  of 
the  Church,  and  cause  religion  to  be  esteemed  and 
honored,  and  thereby  induce  man  to  follow  the  saving 
doctrines  of  Christ. 

To  leave  no  room,  therefore,  for  any  possible  doubt 
as  to  the  kind  of  teachers  which  the  age  and  the 
Church  need,  the  eloquent  words  of  Bishop  Spalding 
are  subjoined:  "We  need  men  whose  intellectual 
view  embraces  the  history  of  the  race,  who  are  famil- 
iar with  literature,  who  have  studied  all  social  move- 
ments, who  are  acquainted  with  the  development  of 
philosophic  thought,  who  are  not  blinded  by  physical 
miracles  and  industrial  wonders,  but  who  know  how 
to  appreciate  all  truth,  all  beauty,  all  goodness.  And 
to  this  wide  culture  they  must  join  the  earnestness, 
the  confidence,  the  charity,  and  the  purity  of  mo- 
tive which  Christian  faith  inspires.  We  need  scholars 
who  are  saints,  and  saints  who  are  scholars.  We 
need  men  of  genius  who  live  for  God  and  their  coun- 
try; men  of  action  who  seek  light  in  the  company  of 
those  who  know;  men  of  religion  who  understand 
that  God  reveals  himself  in  science,  and  works  in 

Nature  as  in  the  souls  of  men,  for  the  good  of  those 
9 


130    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

who  love  Him.  Let  us  know  the  right  moment,  and 
let  us  know  that  it  comes  for  those  alone  who  are 
prepared." 


I. 

TRUE  WISDOM  SUPERIOR  TO  MERE  KNOWLEDGE. 

The  father  of  scholastic  philosophy,  St.  Anselm, 
affirmed :  ' '  God  often  works  more  by  the  life  of  the 
illiterate  seeking  the  things  that  are  God's,  than 
b;7  the  ability  of  the  learned  seeking  the  things  which 
are  their  own." 

"What  does  it  avail,"  said  St.  Augustine,  "to 
be  occupied  with  continual  study,  reading  the  actions 
and  writings  of  the  saints,  unless  we  imbibe  their 
justice  by  masticating  and  ruminating,  transmit  them 
by  glutination  down  to  the  depths  of  our  hearts,  con- 
sidering in  them  our  own  state,  and  endeavoring  to 
imitate  the  deeds  of  those  of  whom  we  read  ? ' ' 

"Amongst  all  the  occupations  of  men,"  writes  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas,  "the  most  sublime,  the  most  use- 
ful, and  the  most  agreeable,  is  the  study  of  wisdom." 

"It  is  not  the  reading  of  books  that  gives  this 
knowledge,"  observed  St.  Bernard,  "but  the  inter- 
ior unction ;  it  is  not  the  dead  letters,  but  the  spirit ; 
not  the  profound  researches,  but  the  execution  of 
God's  commandment." 

"Love  is  knowledge,"  remarks  St.  Gregory;  and 
St.  Augustine  added,  "love  is  an  eye,  and  to  love  is 
to  see." 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  131 

"Let  no  one  seek  by  human  wisdom,"  admonished 
Richard  of  St.  Victor,  "those  things  which  are  above 
human  wisdom. ' ' 

"There  is  a  certain  secular  science,"  we  are  told 
by  St.  Bernard,  "which  inebriates  not  with  charity, 
but  with  curiosity,  which  fills  but  does  not  nourish, 
inflates  and  does  not  edify,  swells  and  does  not 
strengthen." 

"Thou  knowest,  0  Lord,"  confessed  Petrarch, 
"before  whom  is  all  my  desire  that  I  have  never 
sought  more  from  letters,  than  that  I  might  be  made 
good.  Thou  searchest  the  reins  and  the  heart,  know- 
est that  even  in  youth  I  was  never  so  desirous  of  glory 
as  not  to  prefer  being  good  to  being  learned." 

"If  we  have  made  any  proficiency,"  wrote  the 
pious  and  learned  Mirandola  to  his  friend  Ugolino, 
"it  is  the  gift  of  God :  to  Him  be  praise  and  thanks- 
giving; if  we  have  failed  in  anything,  it  is  our  im- 
becility, and  let  it  be  imputed  to  us." 

In  the  Annals  of  La  Trappe,  the  well-known 
Abbot  de  Ranee  wrote  the  following  concerning 
Father  Euthyme,  or  Brother  Euthyme,  as  he  was 
called,  according  to  the  custom  of  monastic  orders: 
"Although  he  had  never  studied  nor  received  any 
tincture  of  letters,  yet  he  had  so  solid  a  judgment 
and  so  quick  a  discernment,  and  God  had  given  him 
so  much  grace  and  light,  that  he  knew  perfectly  well 
the  whole  depth  and  extent  of  his  profession;  and 
as  he  had  a  right  heart  and  a  right  will,  and  as 
he  loved  Jesus  Christ  with  an  ardent  love,  so  did 
he  take  Him  for  a  guide." 

"He  was  so  familiar  with  the  Holy  Scriptures," 


132    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

he  further  attested,  "and  had  made  such  just  and 
spiritual  applications,  that  every  one  who  approached 
him  was  consoled ;  and  nothing  has  so  fully  convinced 
me  that  the  science  of  the  Saints,  or  rather  of  God, 
is  not  learned  by  books,  but  that  it  is  only  God  who 
can  infuse  it  into  the  heart,  as  when  I  saw  this  poor 
monk,  who  had  acquired  with  so  little  study  such 
pure  and  exalted  wisdom." 

The  Christian  teacher,  least  learned,  but  con- 
versant only  with  the  Lives  of  the  Saints  and  the 
Imitation  of  Christ,  may  be  said,  like  that  hoary 
man  of  whom  the  poet  sings : 

"To  have  spent  his  live-long  age 

In  converse  with  the  dead,  who  leave  the  stamp 

Of  ever-burning  thoughts  on  many  a  page 

When  they  are  gone  into  the  viewless  damp 

Of  graves : — his  spirit  thus  becomes  a  lamp 

Of  splendor,  like  to  those  on  whom  it  fed." 

"We  ought  as  willingly  to  read  devout  and  simple 
books,"  teaches  Thomas  a  Kempis,  (1)  "as  those 
that  are  high  and  profound. 

"Let  not  the  authority  of  the  writer  offend  thee, 
whether  he  was  of  little  or  great  learning;  but  let 
the  love  of  pure  truth  lead  thee  to  read. 

"If  thou  didst  know  the  whole  Bible  by  heart, 
and  the  sayings  of  all  the  philosophers,  what  would 
it  profit  thee,  without  the  love  of  God  and  His  grace  ? 

"The  doctrine  of  Christ  surpasseth  all  the  doc- 
trines of  the  saints;  and  whosoever  hath  the  spirit, 
will  find  therein  a  hidden  manna. 

"Do  not  take  pride  in  thy  talents  or  thy  wit, 
lest  thou  displease  God,  to  whom  appertaineth  every 
natural  good  quality  and  talent  which  thou  hast." 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I,  chap.  V,  1,  2. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE,  133 

II. 

OTHER  OPINIONS  PERTAINING  TO  NECESSARY  KNOWLEDGE. 

Undoubtedly,  knowledge  is  necessary  to  all.  It 
matters  not  whether  this  knowledge  be  derived  from 
the  cultivation  of  letters,  or  obtained  from  experi- 
ence. The  fact  is  that  we  must  know,  for  we  are  ra- 
tional, and,  therefore,  intelligent  beings.  But  par- 
ticularly is  knowledge  most  desirable  on  the  part  of 
those  who  follow  an  intellectual  pursuit.  Consequent- 
ly, every  teacher  has  absolute  need  of  it,  even  if  he 
were  teaching  only  an  elementary  or  primary  class. 
It  is  a  mistaken  notion  that  seems  however  very  prev- 
alent, that  any  teacher  is  good  enough  for  such  classes. 
Suffice  it  here  to  affirm  that  the  teacher  in  an  ele- 
mentary or  primary  grade  should  be  master  of  his 
subjects,  that  is,  possess  a  thorough  and  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  them,  otherwise  he  may  do  the  children 
an  irreparable  injury,  from  which  they  may  possibly 
recover  only  after  untold,  patient  labor  on  the  part 
of  more  skillful  and  efficient  teachers.  How  many 
bright  intellects  have  not  been  ruined,  owing  to  the 
ignorance  of  teachers !  It  is,  then,  of  paramount  im- 
portance that  all  branches  of  the  curriculum,  even 
the  elementary,  be  taught  with  a  thoroughness  and 
intelligence  that  bespeak  a  mastery  of  the  subject- 
matter. 

The  most  essential  qualification  of  a  good  teacher, 
however,  is  the  power  of  communicating  this  knowl- 
edge to  those  whom  he  is  to  instruct.  This  is  a 
qualification  often  wanting  in  men  who  are  other- 
wise very  learned. 


134    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

As  Bishop  Dupanloup  had  wide  experience  in  edu- 
cational matters,  his  opinion,  concerning  the  qualifi- 
cations of  professors,  is  worthy  of  our  appreciation. 

"For  a  professor,"  wrote  this  eminent  educator 
and  scholar,  "to  know  how  to  teach  is,  in  a  measure, 
of  greater  importance  than  a  knowledge  of  what  to 
teach.  The  knowledge  of  this  practical  truth,  gleaned 
by  experience  and  subsequent  reasoning,  was  one  of 
the  principal,  if  not  also  the  strongest,  reason  that 
urged  me,  never  to  employ  as  professor,  a  truly 
erudite  scholar.  Professionally,  I  have  observed  that 
the  most  learned  professors  were  frequently  lacking 
the  ability  of  imparting  to  others  their  own  knowl- 
edge, simply  because  their  extensive  erudition  seemed 
to  embarrass  them,  and  their  great,  powerful  intel- 
lects proved  apparently  a  barrier  to  communicating 
knowledge.  It  is,  therefore,  not  at  all  improbable 
that  the  erudite  scholar,  Huet,  (1)  was  but  a  make- 
shift as  teacher  to  the  great  Dauphin  of  France.  Now, 
to  laud  a  professor  because  of  his  talents  and  knowl- 
edge, would  indeed  be,  in  my  estimation,  poor  praise. 
To  say  that  a  teacher  possesses  much  knowledge  is,  in 
my  opinion,  but  a  poor  recommendation.  Can  you 
state  with  equal  assurance  that  he  knows  well  what 
he  should  know?  Can  you  as  positively  affirm  that 
he  has  the  tact  and  ability  of  imparting  to  others  the 
knowledge  which  he  has  so  painstakingly  acquired? 
For  you  should  not  become  oblivious  to  the  fact  that 
it  is  not  here  merely  a  question  of  knowledge,  but 

(1)  Pierre  Denis  Huet,  Bishop  d'Avranches,  was  born  at  Caen,  in 
16SO,  and  died,  in  1721.  He  was  remarkably  proficient  in  gen- 
eral literature,  mathematics,  physics,  and  kindred  studies.  H9 
founded  an  Academy  of  Physics,  in  1662. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  135 

whether  or  not  the  teacher  knows  how  to  teach  the 
children,  not  ivhat  they  do  not  know,  but  that  which 
they  should  know.  Now,  while  learning  is  good,  aye, 
very  necessary,  remember  nevertheless  that  erudition 
is  of  little  avail  to  a  teacher,  unless  the  other  accom- 
panying qualifications  be  not  wanting.  You  seem  to 
praise  the  professor  of  the  fourth  class  for  his  schol- 
arly attainments,  but  does  he  adapt  himself  to  the 
limited  capacity  of  his  pupils,  so  that  the  least  in- 
telligent one  of  them  comprehends  him?  Does  he,  as 
St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle  counsels,  give  his  les- 
sons with  clearness,  order,  method  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  his  subject-matter,  that  it  may  facilitate 
thorough  understanding,  prevent  confusion  in  the 
minds  of  the  pupils,  and  that  it  may  beget  neither 
weariness  nor  disgust  for  study,  much  less  draw  con- 
tempt upon  himself? 

"It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  there  is  knowl- 
edge and  knowledge.  Apart  from  the  knowledge, 
properly  termed  science,  there  is  also  the  knowledge 
of  knowing  how  to  say  what  we  know,  as  well  as 
knowing  how  to  do  what  we  know,  which  is  so  es- 
sential to  a  professor,  if  he  wishes  to  control  and  ad- 
vance his  pupils.  It  is  needless  to  mention  the  knowl- 
edge of  knowing  how  to  be  gentlemen,  of  which  many, 
however,  give  evidence  of  complete  ignorance." 

Besides,  good  is  accomplished  not  according  to  the 
degree  of  one's  intellect,  talent,  and  natural  endow- 
ments, but  rather  in  proportion  to  his  sanctity. 

What  more  striking  manifestation  of  this  could 
be  offered  than  the  simple  Cure  d'Ars?  How  many 
clergymen  and  doctors  were  far  more  learned  than 


136    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

this  venerable  Father  Vianney!  Nevertheless,  who 
among  them  has  accomplished  such  astounding 
works  ?  And  yet,  there  is  no  need  for  being  surprised, 
for  our  Lord  did  not  say  that  "the  most  learned 
shall  do  the  most  good, ' '  but  He  promised  f ruitf ulness 
to  abnegation,  union  with  God,  faith,  and  holiness, 
as  we  read  in  St.  John  the  Evangelist : 

He  that  dbidetli  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same 
beareth  much  fruit.  (*) 

Unless  the  grain  of  wheat  falling  into  the  ground, 
die,  it  remaineth  alone.  But  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit.  (2> 

Be  ye  sanctified,  said  Josue  to  the  Israelites,  for 
the  Lord  will  do  wonders  among  you.  <3> 

It  has  been  well  said  that  prayer  alone  makes  the 
Carthusian,  a  sublime  calling,  a  celestial  lightning- 
conductor  of  the  Church  and  the  world;  study  alone 
gives  us  the  man  of  science,  who  wields  such  a  great 
moral  power  either  for  good  or  evil ;  action  alone  con- 
stitutes the  workman,  an  intelligent  machine  which 
gives  and  receives  motion;  but  that  which  makes 
the  apostle,  the  Christian  teacher,  is  the  union  of 
prayer,  study,  and  action. 

Hence,  "teach  perfectly  what  you  know,"  said 
St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle,  "and  teaching  well 
what  you  do  know  will  merit  for  you  the  grace  to 
learn  what  you  do  not  know. ' '  These  pregnant  words 
of  the  saintly  and  scholarly  educator  are  applicable 
to  our  ministry,  study,  and  acquisition  of  virtue. 

And  what  is  the  profound  teaching  of  St.  Paul,  the 
Doctor  of  the  Gentiles,  concerning  vain  knowledge? 

(1)  c.  xv,  5.     (2)  lUd.,  xii,  25.     (3)  c.  Hi,  5. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  137 

For  the  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men;  and 
the  weakness  of  God,  is  stronger  than  men.  For  see 
your  vocation,  brethren,  that  there  are  not  many  wise 
according  to  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many 
noble.  But  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  hath  God 
chosen,  that  He  may  confound  the  wise;  but  the  weak 
things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen,  that  He  may 
confound  the  strong;  and  the  base  things  of  the  world, 
and  the  things  that  are  contemptible,  hath  God  chosen, 
and  things  that  are  not,  that  He  might  bring  to  nought 
things  that  are,  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  His 
sight.  But  of  Him  are  you  in  Christ  JESUS,  who  of 
God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  justice,  and  sanctifi- 
cation,  and  redemption,  that,  as  it  is  written :  He  that 
glorieth  may  glory  in  the  Lord.  M 


III. 

RODRIGUEZ  ON  CONFORMITY  TO  GOD'S  WILL  IN  THE  DIS- 
TRIBUTION OF  NATURAL  GIFTS  AND  TALENTS. 

We  must  all  be  content  with  the  gifts  and  talents 
which  God  in  His  infinite  wisdom,  has  accorded  to  us. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  all  men  have  received  special 
endowments,  consequently,  we  should  be  satisfied  with 
our  share,  instead  of  envying  those  who  may  have  been 
more  richly  endowed.  There  is,  however,  within  us 
a  bad  leaven,  owing  to  our  concupiscence,  and,  there- 
fore, we  should  be  upon  our  guard  lest  the  superior 

(1)  I  Cor.,  ii,  S5-S1. 


138    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

talents  of  others  tempt  us  to  envy.  They  have  not- 
withstanding their  defects  which  may  counterbalance 
these  advantages,  and  thus  render  necessary  to  them 
that  moderation  and  conformity  to  God's  will  which 
we  have  mentioned.  Consequently,  it  is  our  duty  to 
take  such  prudent  measures  that  the  enemy  of  our 
salvation  may  not  conquer  us,  by  making  us  his  dupes. 
Let  us  take  a  practical,  ordinary  occurrence.  You 
are  now  pursuing  with  earnestness  and  assiduity  your 
course  of  studies.  The  day  appointed  for  the  public 
examination  is  near  at  hand.  Now,  if  at  this  ex- 
amination others  distinguished  themselves  and  passed 
a  more  brilliant  one  than  was  your  fortune  to  do, 
the  thought  of  their  success  has  perhaps  instilled  into 
your  heart  the  poison  of  envy.  Now,  this  envious 
breath  may  doubtless  not  influence  you  to  such  an 
extent  that  you  become  thereby  afflicted  and  tor- 
mented at  your  companion's  superior  talents,  but  you 
may  perchance  feel  ashamed  and  keenly  disappointe/l 
that  others  should  have  excelled  you.  Whence  will 
frequently  spring  sadness  and  discontent.  Possibly 
this  may  have  the  sinister  result  of  causing  you  to 
give  up  your  course  altogether,  or,  perhaps,  even  relig- 
ion itself.  It  has  done  so  to  others,  because  they  had 
not  laid  deep  foundations  in  humility.  Some  there 
are  who  had  pictured  to  themselves  a  brilliant  future, 
and  presumed  to  attain  to  a  great  eminence  in  their 
studies,  thereby  acquiring  a  world- wide  reputation,  a 
great  name  for  erudition  and  scholarship.  Unhap- 
pily their  expectations  were  never  destined  to  be 
realized.  Having  been  thus  bitterly  disappointed  in 
their  cherished  dream  of  future  greatness,  they  were 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  139 

overwhelmed  with  shame  and  confusion  at  their  signal 
failure,  thus  affording  the  wily  tempter  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  blind  and  dupe  them,  and  yielding  to 
his  suggestions,  they  concluded  that  the  only  course 
left  open  to  them  of  avoiding  the  disgrace  incurred, 
would  be  to  abandon  their  vocation. 

Now,  if  we  wish  to  avoid  a  similar  misfortune,  we 
must  take  some  salutary  means  to  safeguard  our- 
selves against  possible  temptations  to  vain-glory.  The 
surest  and  most  effective  remedy  for  our  wounded 
pride  is  a  deep,  profound  humility.  For  it  may  just- 
ly be  ascribed  to  the  want  of  this  virtue  that  we  be- 
come discontented  with  the  poverty  of  our  mental 
gifts,  and  consequently  displeased  at  the  more  for- 
tunate endowments  of  our  companions.  We  can  not 
bear  the  thought  of  being  outclassed  in  natural  tal- 
ents or  brilliant  attainments.  How  then  would  it  be 
if,  owing  to  our  mental  inferiority,  we  were  prevented 
from  pursuing  our  studies  further,  and  constrained  to 
witness  the  promotion  of  our  companions  to  the  more 
advanced  courses,  until  they  became  great,  erudite 
scholars  ?  Evidently,  unless  we  were  securely  ground- 
ed in  humility  and  Christian  resignation,  we  would 
hardly  withstand  the  trial.  Now,  even  supposing 
that  we  had  successfully  prosecuted  our  studies  to  the 
end,  we  would  still  have  need  of  great  humility  when 
we  saw  our  companions  preferred  to  us  and  advanced 
to  positions  for  which  we  had  been  adjudged  in- 
competent. And  even  though  we  should  have  never 
cultivated  our  intellect,  humility  is  still  necessary 
for  us  that  we  may  not  fall  a  victim  to  vain  regrets 
and  chagrin.  It  may  happen  that  like  temptations 


140    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

may  come  upon  us  with  such  force,  and  prove  so 
strong  and  violent,  that,  unless  we  are  constantly 
upon  our  guard,  we  may  not  only  lose  esteem  for 
our  sublime  ministry,  but,  possibly,  even  endanger 
our  salvation. 

Thus  far,  the  considerations  are  indeed  only  gen- 
eralizations. Hence  it  is  expedient  that  each  one 
should  make  the  special  application  suited  to  his 
particular  state  and  condition,  and  to  the  circum- 
stances under  which  he  may  be  placed.  For  it  is 
the  imperative  duty  of  every  one  to  be  conformed 
to  the  Divine  will,  and  to  be  content  with  the  tal- 
ents he  has  received  from  God,  or  with  the  state  in 
which  he  is  placed,  neither  desiring  nor  seeking  to  be 
aught  else,  save  what  is  agreeable  to  Him. 

St.  Augustine,  commenting  on  these  words  of  the 
Psalmist:  Incline  my  heart  to  the  practice  of  Tliy 
commandments,  not  to  avarice, (i)  affirms,  that  avarice 
here  implies  all  kinds  of  ill-regulated  desires,  and 
that  it  has  been  the  source  of  all  our  misfortunes. 
What  was  it  that  banished  our  first  parents  from  the 
terrestrial  paradise  and  robbed  them  of  all  the  pre- 
rogatives they  had  enjoyed  ?  It  was  because  they  de- 
sired to  become  greater  than  God  had  created  them 
and  to  become  endowed  with  greater  gifts  than  God 
had  bestowed  upon  them.  You  shall  be  as  gods,  said 
the  serpent,  knoiving  good  and  evil.  (®>  This  was  the 
flattering,  seducing  bait  which  the  tempter  proffered 
them  to  ensure  their  ruin.  We,  too,  have  inherited 
from  our  first  parents  the  presumption  to  be  as  gods,- 


(1)  Ps.  cxviii,  36. 
(%)  Oen.j  Hi,  5. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  141 

that  is,  inherited  their  folly,  or  rather  madness,  in 
striving  to  become  greater  than  we  really  are. 

This  argument  the  enemy  of  our  eternal  wel- 
fare employed  so  successfully  against  our  first 
parents,  and  he  fails  not  to  use  it  effectively  to  this 
day  to  seduce  and  ensnare  men.  Nothing  is  left  un- 
tried to  persuade  and  urge  us,  or  to  tempt  us  into  the 
ambitious  desire  to  be  more  or  greater  than  God  has 
destined  us  to  be,  to  excite  or  lure  our  ambition  for 
exalted  stations,  and  to  be  possessed  of  more  brilliant 
mental  endowments  other  than  those  God  in  His  in- 
finite goodness  has  already  bestowed  on  us.  Hence  it 
is,  says  St.  Augustine,  that  the  Royal  Prophet  im- 
plores God  to  give  him  a  heart  wholly  disinterested, 
a  heart  faithfully  inclined  to  whatever  is  acceptable 
to  His  divine  will,  and  a  heart  altogether  freed  from 
self-complacency  and  selfish  interests.  For  indeed, 
the  word  avarice,  implies  not  only  a  desire  of  riches, 
but  also  honors,  glory,  pleasures,  and  generally,  all 
kinds  of  concupiscences.  St.  Paul,  likewise,  takes  it 
in  this  sense,  when  he  says  covet ousness,  or  avarice,  is 
the  root  of  all  evil. (1) 

Now,  if  we  had  no  other  motive  for  being  content 
with  the  endowments  God  has  bestowed  upon  us,  or 
with  the  state  and  condition  wherein  he  has  placed  us 
than  that  of  the  Divine  Will,  it  alone  should  suffice  to 
oblige  us  to  a  perfect  conformity  to  the  orders  of  His 
benign  Providence.  For,  all  these  things,  says  St. 
Paul,  one  and  the  same  spirit  worketh,  dividing  to 
every  one  according  as  He  ivills.  (2>  In  proof  of  this 
truth,  the  Apostle  employs  the  metaphor  of  a  man's 

(1)  I.  Tim.,  vi,  10.     (Z)  I.  Cor.,  xii,  11. 


142    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

body.  As  in  the  body  of  a  man,  he  says  (1),  God  has 
placed  the  members  as  He  deemed  proper.  Now,  the 
feet  murmured  not  because  they  were  not  the  head, 
nor  the  hands,  because  they  were  not  the  eyes,  so  also 
in  the  body  of  the  Church,  as  in  that  of  a  religious 
congregation,  God  has  placed  and  arranged  the  mem- 
bers according  to  His  Divine  Wisdom.  For  it  does  not 
happen  by  chance  that  some  are  entrusted  with  one 
function  and  others  with  another,  but  it  is  so  by  a 
special  ruling  of  His  Providence.  Consequent- 
ly, if  it  should  prove  acceptable  to  God  that  we 
should  be  the  feet  in  our  Congregation  what  presump- 
tion have  we  to  aspire  to  be  the  head?  And  if  He 
would  have  us  be  the  hands,  by  what  prerogative 
would  we  claim  to  be  the  eyes  ?  0  how  profound  and 
incomprehensible  are  the  judgments  of  God!  For 
who  among  men,  we  read  in  Wisdom,  is  he  that  can 
know  the  counsel  of  God?  Or  who  can  think  what  the 
will  of  God  is?  (2J  Thou  art,  0  Lord,  the  source  of 
all  things,  and  hence  we  ought  to  praise  Thee,  what- 
ever may  happen,  for  Thou  knowest  what  is  most 
proper  and  expedient  for  each  one,  and  why  Thou 
dost  confer  more  talents  and  gifts  upon  one  than  upon 
another.  It  is  not  for  us,  0  Lord,  to  penetrate  into 
Thy  secret  designs. 

Again,  who  knows  what  would  happen  or  become 
of  us,  had  we  been  gifted  with  a  more  brilliant  and 
penetrating  intellect?  How  do  we  know  that  if  wre 
had  achieved  greater  success  or  more  striking  results 
in  our  ministry,  it  might  not  have  been  the  cause  of 
our  ruin,  like  so  many  others  whose  pride  and  vanity 

(1)  Cf.  I.  Cor.,  xii,  U-24. 

(2)  c.  ix,  13. 


LACK  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  143 

precipitated  them  into  their  final  perdition  ?  Now,  if 
we  who  possess  such  limited  knowledge  and  so  few 
natural  gifts,  and  a  knowledge  but  very  mediocre,  pos- 
sibly not  even  that,  would  we  dare  have  the  presump- 
tion to  compare  ourselves  to  others  or  even  prefer 
ourselves  to  them?  Should  we  consider  it  as  a  per- 
sonal affront  to  have  been  ignored  in  the  selection  for 
higher  offices?  What  then  would  be  our  actual  con- 
duct, were  we  masters  of  those  rare  qualities  and 
parts,  and  possessed  in  a  high  degree  with  extraor- 
dinary gifts  and  remarkable  endowments?  Have  we 
forgotten  the  pregnant  adage:  Wings  are  not  given 
to  the  ant,  save  for  her  ruin?  Could  we  say  that  it 
would  be  inapplicable  to  us,  were  we  the  possessors  of 
such  wonderful  talents  ? 

Now,  if  instead  of  viewing  facts  through  the  prism 
of  a  disordered  imagination,  we  consider  them  in  their 
true  aspect,  we  will  have  just  reasons  to  thank  God 
all  our  life,  for  having  placed  us  in  a  state  of  subjec- 
tion and  humility,  or  for  having  conferred  upon  us 
only  a  limited  shafe  of  natural  talents.  We  may 
truthfully  affirm  with  pious  Thomas  a  Kempis:  0 
Lord  God,  I  take  it  for  a  great  'benefit,  not  to  have\ 
much,  which  outwardly  and  according  to  men  might 
appear  praiseworthy  and  glorious,  t1* 

The  saints  thoroughly  understood  the  danger 
which  accompanied  these  great  gifts  and  advantages, 
consequently,  they  abstained  not  only  from  desiring 
them,  but  they  even  dreaded  them,  because  they  were 
fully  aware  that  those  who  were  thus  favored,  were 
greatly  exposed  to  vain-glory.  Thus  it  was  that  they, 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III,  ch  XXII,  4. 


144    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

preferring  humility  of  heart  to  sublimity  of  genius, 
became  so  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God.  If  we,  there- 
fore, with  the  poor  talents  and  limited  knowledge  that 
we  possess,  can  find  the  means  to  be  more  pleasing  to 
God,  why  do  we  concern  ourselves  in  searching  for 
what  we  have  not  or  can  not  attain? 

Again,  if  the  motive  inducing  us  to  acquire  such 
knowledge  be  to  render  ourselves  more  acceptable  to 
God,  it  is  doubtless  very  commendable.  Nevertheless, 
were  it  more  pleasing  to  Him  that  we  should  remain 
in  ignorance  or  poverty  of  knowledge,  as  it  certainly 
is,  since  He  so  ordained,  why  are  we  then  so  displeased 
or  annoyed?  Hence,  why  strive  to  be  what  God  has 
never  destined  us  to  be,  or  what  is  not  expedient  that 
we  should  be  ? 

After  Saul  had  vanquished  the  Amalecites,  the 
great  and  magnificent  sacrifices  which  he  had  pre- 
pared were  not  at  all  acceptable  to  God,  because  they 
were  not  conformable  to  His  holy  will.  Thus  these 
great  and  ambitious  desires  which  we  conceive  and 
dream  of  accomplishing,  may  be  as  little  agreeable  to 
God,  as  the  sacrifices  of  Saul.  For,  let  us  not  deceive 
ourselves,  our  spiritual  progress  consists  not  in  being 
able  catechists,  or  learned  professors,  or  in  being  the 
recipients  of  great  lights  and  helps,  splendid  talents, 
and  honorable  positions,  but  rather  in  accomplishing 
God 's  will,  in  giving  a  just  and  faithful  account  of  our 
ministry,  and  in  causing  the  talents  and  gifts  con- 
ferred upon  us  to  fructify.  To  attain  this  end,  there- 
fore, we  must  needs  direct  exclusively  our  best  efforts, 
since  this  is  what  God  demands  exclusively  of  us.  (1) 

(1)   Alphonsus  Rodriguez,  Christian  Perfection,  Vol.  II,  Part 

Tin,  c,  xv. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         145 

SEVENTH  OBJECTION. 

LACK  OF  DUE  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING. 

How  would  you  be. 

If  He,  which  is  the  top  of  judgment,  should 
But  judge  you  as  you  are?     O,  think  on  that; 
And  mercy  then  will  breed  within  your  lips. 
Like  man  new  made." — Shakespeare. 

The  work  an  unknown  good  man  has  done,  we  are 
told  by  Carlyle,  (1>  is  like  a  vein  of  water  flowing 
hidden  under  ground,  secretly  making  the  ground 
green.  "Whence  comes  then  this  itching  for  praise, 
this  insatiable  thirst  for  appreciation?  It  may  evi- 
dfcntly  be  attributed,  either  to  the  innate  desire  there 
is  in  every  human  heart  for  praise,  as  Young  admits 
when  he  declares  that 

"The  love  of  praise,  howe'er  conceal'd  by  art. 
Reigns  more  or  less,  and  glows  in  ev'ry  heart;"  (2) 

or  to  the  lack  of  that  purity  of  intention  and  generous 
disinterestedness  of  motive,  which  should  characterize 
every  Christian  teacher.  Perhaps,  we  have  not  yet 
fully  grasped  the  true  significance  of  our  ministry, 
and,  consequently,  we  have  not  wholly  put  aside  the 
old  man  with  his  concupiscences  and  worldly  interests. 
Now,  we  must  work  either  for  God  or  for  man. 
Undoubtedly,  the  teacher's  task  is  hard,  painful,  and 
wearisome  enough  in  itself,  and  unless  he  have  exalted 
views  and  high  aspirations,  he  will  assuredly  find  it 

(1)  Essays,  Varnhagen  von  Ense's  Memoirs. 

(2)  The  Love  of  Fame. 

10 


146    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

disheartening.  But  let  him  enter  upon  it  with  lively 
Christian  faith  and  love,  and  he  will  become  alto- 
gether indifferent  to  the  opinions  and  praises  of  men. 
Even  Pindar  acknowledged  that  whatever  is  done 
without  God,  is  not  the  worse  for  being  consigned  to 
silence  and  oblivion.  If  our  work  is  for  God  alone, 
what  need  we  concern  ourselves  about  empty  praise 
and  transitory  fame  ?  Indeed,  if  fame  were  not  van- 
ity in  itself,  observes  a  great  writer,  its  capricious 
and  unjust  dispensation  would  prove  it  worthless. 
For  nothing  human  is  more  untrustworthy  than  the 
judgments  of  men.  Moreover,  if  our  aim  or  object 
be  the  praises  of  men,  then  we  have  already  received 
our  wages. 

The  Christian  teacher  should  not  consider  the 
present,  but  the  future;  he  should  look  to  God  for 
his  eternal  reward,  and  not  to  man  for  a  false  esteem 
or  appreciation.  Hence  ' '  whatever  you  do, ' '  says  the 
great  St.  Anselm,  "do  all  for  future  benefit,  in  expec- 
tation of  the  eternal  recompense:  a  future,  not  a 
present  recompense  is  promised  to  the  Saints;  in 
heaven,  not  on  earth,  reward  is  promised  to  the  just. 
What  is  to  be  given  elsewhere  must  not  then  be  ex- 
pected here.  Be  dead  to  the  world,  and  let  the  world 
be  dead  to  you.  As  if  dead,  look  upon  the  glory  of 
the  world ;  as  if  buried,  be  not  careful  of  the  world ; 

as  if  dead,  cease  from  earthly  cares 

Study  nothing  on  account  of  praise,  nothing  on  ac- 
count of  temporal  opinion,  nothing  for  the  sake  of 
fame,  tut  all  things  on  account  of  eternal  life."  (*> 
Truly,  it  is  a  wretched  thing,  said  Juvenal,  to  live  on 
the  fame  of  others. 

(1)  Lib.  Exhortationum. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         147 

Why,  then,  seek  our  happiness  here,  where  disap- 
pointment, discontent  will  inevitably  be  our  portion? 
Heed  rather  the  timely  message  of  the  poet : 

"I  might  relate  of  thousands,  and  their  names 
Eternize  here  on  earth ;  but  those  elect 
Angels,  contented  with  their  love  in  heav'n. 
Seek  not  the  praise  of  men." 

Washington  Irving  has  written  nothing  truer  than 
that  "the  idol  of  to-day  pushes  the  hero  out  of  your 
recollection;  and  will  in  turn  be  supplanted  by  his 
successor  of  to-morrow."  (1)  Thus  it  is  always  with 
fickle  man. 

The  Christian  teacher  who  labors  with  a  single- 
ness of  purpose,  is  too  concentrated  upon  the  great 
work  that  demands  his  best  energies  and  noblest  en- 
deavors, to  allow  himself  to  abuse  them  in  search  of 
vanity  or  worthless  praise. 

It  is  to  him  a  matter  of  holy  indifference,  what 
judgment  the  world  may  pass  upon  him.  It  will  not 
change  him.  He  is  still  what  he  is  in  the  sight  of 
God  and  his  own  conscience.  Moreover,  true  worth 
has  never  yet  been  fully  appreciated,  at  least,  -in 
its  own  time.  As  an  instance,  take  some  of  the  great 
lights  who  have  won  fame  and  distinction  in  the  world 
of  science  and  letters.  Time  is  tardily  rendering 
them  the  justice  which  was  denied  them  during  their 
struggling,  often  impoverished,  careers.  Think,  again, 
of  the  thousands  who  receive  absolutely  no  recogni- 
tion whatever,  and  who,  nevertheless,  left  "monu- 
ments more  enduring  than  brass. ' ' 

Of  men  of  this  category  the  poet  wrote : 

(1)  The  Sketch  Book. 


148   THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"Great  men  die   and   are   forgotten. 
Wise  speak ;  their  words  of  wisdom 
Perish  in  the  ears  that  hear  them."  (1) 

They  did  not  labor  for  that  transient  appreciation  or 
recognition  which  so  many  seem  to  covet.  Christian 
teachers  should  be  content,  therefore,  to  remain  in 
seclusion,  working  nobly  and  silently,  regardless  of 
what  men  may  say  or  think  of  them.  They  have 
the  consolation  of  knowing  that 

"That  best  portion  of  a  good  man's  life. 
His    little,    nameless,    unremembered    acts 
Of  kindness  and  of  love,"  (2) 

are  not  without  their  due  appreciation  and  proper 
recompense.  How  beautifully  Gray  expresses  the 
same  thought,  when  he  affirms  that 

"Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen. 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air."    (3) 

Longfellow  assures  us  that 

"The   surest  pledge   of  a  deathless   name 
Is  the  silent  homage  of  thoughts  unspoken."   (4) 

No  true  Christian  teacher  should  ever  look  upon 
the  approval  of  men  as  an  adequate  reward  for  his 
labors.  For  he  is  doing  duty  for  a  higher  purpose 
than  a  mere  temporal  gain  or  renown.  Even  the  old 
Roman  moralist,  Seneca,  held  the  opinion  that  he  de- 
serves praise  who  does  not  what  he  may,  but  what 
he  ought.  Reason  will  also  affirm  that  one  should 
not  put  his  trust  in  any  man,  if  he  would  secure  peace 
of  mind  arid  tranquillity  of  heart.  How  very  fickle 

(1)  Longfellow,  Hiawatha.     (2)  Wordsworth,  in  Tintern  Abbey. 
(3)  Elegy.     (^)  The  Heroes  of  Elmwood. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         149 

a  thing  is  praise !  It  is  but  an  opinion  that  passes  by 
' '  as  the  idle  wind. ' '  The  poet  admits  that 

"Opinion's  but  a  fool,  that  makes  us  scan, 
The  outward  habit  by  the  inward  man."  (1) 

And,  how  admirably  Terence  expresses  the  truth 
when  he  declares  that  each  wishes  for  his  own  advan- 
tage, rather  than  that  of  others.  Evidently,  the  Chris- 
tian teacher  who  would  consider  his  sublime  ministry 
discouraging,  because  men  do  not  flatter  or  praise 
him,  is  indeed  far  below  the  high  ideal  which  he 
should  possess.  For,  of  what  avail  is  this  coveted 
appreciation  ?  It  flatters  our  self-love  and  vanity,  but 
makes  us  no  greater  than  we  are.  It  does  not  tend 
to  make  us  more  patient,  noble,  or  disinterested,  the 
characteristics  of  a  genuine  Christian  educator.  It 
adds  nothing  to  our  talents  and  tact,  nor  does  it  make 
us  more  efficient  teachers.  But  when  rightly  viewed, 
it  has  unquestionably  diminished  our  real  merits  and 
dimmed  our  true  glory  before  Him,  who  is  the  dis- 
cerner  of  all  hearts  and  the  infallible  judge  of  all 
our  motives,  since  our  sole  ambition  was  to  shine 
before  the  world  and  win  the  applause  of  men. 

Now,  the  Christian  educator  who  daily  exercises 
himself  in  serious  meditation  on  the  vanity  of  all 
things  human,  who  contrasts  time  with  eternity,  who 
cleanses  his  soul  through  the  saving  sacrament  of 
Penance,  who  purifies  it  in  the  crucible  of  suffering, 
who  nourishes  it  frequently  with  the  Bread  of  the 
Strong,  and  who  renews  his  pure  intention  by  fre- 
quent aspirations,  will  never  be  tempted  to  murmur 

(1)  Shakespeare,  Pericles,  Act.  IT. 


150    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

on  account  of  being  neglected  by  the  world,  or  of  not 
being  sufficiently  appreciated  by  his  pupils  and  their 
parents.  Indeed  such  language  is  altogether  foreign 
to  a  generous  heart,  for  he  esteems  himself  happy  to 
be  despised  and  contemned  for  Christ's  sake.  He  will, 
moreover,  heed  the  words  of  his  Divine  Master :  How 
can  you  believe,  who  receive  glory  one  from  an- 
other t'1)  Undoubtedly,  we  are  no  greater  than  Christ 
who  declares :  I  seek  not  my -own  glory.  <2>  I  seek  not 
my  own  will,  but  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me.  <3>  1 
receive  not  my  glory  from  men.  (**) 

St.  Paul  who  possessed  such  brilliant  talents  and 
had  received  such  wonderful  interior  lights,  never 
considered  his  own  advantage,  but  generously  sacri- 
ficed all  to  gain  souls  to  Christ.  Full  of  this  apostolic 
spirit,  he  wrote  to  the  Corinthians :  For  I  seek  not  the 

things  that  are  yours,  but  you But  I 

most  gladly  will  spend  and  be  spent  myself  for  your 
souls.  (5J  The  same  noble  generosity  animates  his 
words  to  the  Thessalonians,  to  whom  he  says:  We 
speak,  not  as  pleasing  men,  but  God,  who  proveth  our 

heart Nor  sought  we  glory  of  men, 

neither  of  you,  nor  of  others So  desir- 
ous of  you,  we  would  gladly  impart  unto  you  not  only 
the  Gospel  of  God,  but  also  our  own  souls;  because  you 
were  become  most  dear  unto  us.  (6> 

In  this  noble  language  we  can  readily  recognize  the 
spirit  that  should  be  the  guiding  principle  of  every 
apostolic  man.  When  confronted  with  incomparable 
men  of  this  class,  how  truly  pitiable  becomes  the 

(1)  St.  John,  v,  IJf. 

(2)  Ibid.,  viii,  50.     (3)  Ibid.,  v,  SO.     (b)  Ibid.,  v,  %1. 
(5)  II.  Cor.,  xii,  1$,  15.     (6)  I.  Thess.,  ii,  4,  6,  8. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         151 

Christian  teacher  who  so  slaveishly  labors  to  win  the 
esteem  and  praises  of  men  and  to  gain  an  honorable, 
enviable  position,  or  a  great  name  and  reputation! 
What  an  antithesis  to  the  spirit  of  his  sublime  min- 
istry! What  a  deplorable  pitfall  he  is  making  for 
his  pride  and  vanity!  What  untold  misery  and  dis- 
appointment he  is  foolishly  preparing  for  himself ! 

"If  thou  set  a  value  upon  anything  temporal," 
teaches  the  Christian  philosopher,  Thomas  a  Kem- 
pis,  (1)  "thou  wilt  fail  exceedingly. 

"Let  nothing  be  great  in  thy  eyes,  nothing  high, 
nothing  pleasant,  except  it  be  purely  God,  or  of  God. 

'"Look  upon  as  vain  all  the  comfort  which  thou 
meetest  with  from  any  creature. 

"A  soul  that  loveth  God  despiseth  all  things  that 
are  less  than  God. 

"None  but  God,  eternal  and  incomprehensible,  who 
fills  all  things,  can  afford  true  comfort  to  the  soul,  and 
true  joy  to  the  heart." 


I. 

ST.  FRANCIS  DE  SALES,  AN  APOSTOLIC  MAN. 

A  clergyman,  attached  to  the  household  of  St. 
Francis  de  Sales,  hearing  him  promise  to  preach,  on 
a  certain  festival,  in  one  of  the  churches,  expostulated 
with  him,  remarking  that  he  had  already  promised 
to  do  so  elsewhere. 

"Never  mind,  my  dear  Sir,"  answered  the  Saint, 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  11.,  Ch.  V.,  3. 


152    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"God  will  grant  us  the  favor  of  multiplying  our 
bread,  for  He  is  rich  in  mercy  to  those  who  trust  in 
Him  and  implore  His  aid. ' ' 

"But  will  not  your  health  suffer  on  account  of  this 
additional  exertion  ? ' '  was  the  rejoinder. 

"Now,  if  God  enlighten  the  mind  with  good 
thoughts,  He  will  most  assuredly  strengthen  the  body, 
the  instrument  wherewith  the  word  of  life  is  to  be 
dispensed.  Are  we  not  by  reason  of  our  very  dignity 
constrained  to  be  the  light  of  the  world?  Why  com- 
plain then  that  the  torch  is  being  consumed  while  it 
gives  light?" 

"Withal,  does  God  forbid  us  to  look  after  our 
health?"  enquired  the  clergyman. 

"Unquestionably  He  does  not,  but  He  as  positive- 
ly commands  us  to  trust  in  His  goodness.  Hence,  if 
we  were  asked  this  instant  to  preach  a  third  sermon 
on  that  day,  I  would  experience  greater  pain  in  re- 
fusing to  do  so  than  in  delivering  it.  Should  we  not 
sacrifice  ourselves,  body  and  soul,  for  the  good  of  our 
neighbor,  since  Jesus  Christ  loved  him  to  such  an  ex- 
tent as  even  to  lay  down  His  life  for  him  ? ' ' 

Following  out  this  principle,  it  happened  not  un- 
frequently  that  the  Saint  agreed  to  preach  three  or 
even  four  sermons  on  the  same  day.  When  any  of 
his  friends  would  kindly  interpose,  he  would  meekly 
say  to  them : 

"My  heart  can  not  refuse.  I  find  it  easier  to  give 
the  sermon  than  to  bring  myself  to  say,  no.  Now, 
were  1  to  enter  into  your  views,  I  should  have  to  ap- 
point a  secretary  who  would  entertain  all  such  propo- 
sitions, for  I  could  never  have  the  heart  to  give  a  re- 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.          153 

fusal.  Besides,  the  very  texts  of  my  sermons  urge  me 
to  grant  all  such  requests,  for  true  charity,  regarding 
not  its  own  advantage,  considers  only  the  interests  of 
God  and  those  of  our  neighbor.  What  avail  after  all 
is  the  little  good  we  can  do,  when  we  remember  what 
Moses  said  to  the  Lord :  Strike  me  out  of  the  book  that 
Thou  ha-st  written;  <1>  and  St.  Paul  declared :  / 
wished  myself  to  be  an  anathema  from  Christ,  for  my 
brethren."  <z> 

We  shall  never  find  our  true  interests,  save  when 
we  sacrifice  them.  For  whosoever  shall  save  his  life, 
said  our  Lord,  shall  lose  it;  and  whosoever  shall  lose 
his  life  for  my  sake  and  the  gospel  shall  save  it.  <3> 


II. 

SOME  PREGNANT  SENTENCES. 

"Is  it  not  an  absurdity,"  says  Father  Laller 
mant,  (4)  "that  there  should  be  found,  even  in  relig- 
ious communities,  men  whose  sole  delight  seems  to  be 
in  those  things  which  can  make  them  appear  great  in 
the  eyes  of  the  world !  Men  who,  for  twenty  or  thirty 
years,  perform  all  their  actions  with  the  single  view 
of  raising  themselves  in  the  estimation  of  their  fellow- 
man;  who  experience  only  joy  or  sadness  in  propor- 
tion as  they  attain  or  fail  in  their  purpose ;  or,  at  least, 
who  are  far  more  sensible  thereto  than  to  all  other 
things !  Whatever  refers  to  God  or  to  their  own  per- 

(1)  Exod.,  xxxii,  82.     (2)  Rom.,  ix,  3.     (S)  St.  Mark,  x,  S3. 
(4)  Doctrine  Spirituelle. 


154    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

f  ection  becomes  insipid  to  them,  and  they  experience 
110  pleasure  whatever  in  their  attainment. 

"This  unhappy  state  is  very  deplorable  and  should 
be  condoned  by  tears  of  blood.  For  what  spiritual 
progress  is  possible  to  such  unfortunate  religious? 
What  effective  good  can  they  accomplish  for  their 
neighbor?  And  what  will  be  their  utter  confusion 
at  the  hour  of  death,  when  they  shall  see  that  during 
the  whole  course  of  their  life,  they  had  ambition  only 
for  the  glory  and  vanity  of  the  world. ' ' 

III. 

GREAT  WORTH  ENHANCED  BY  PROFOUND  HUMILITY. 

The  exalted  or  lowly  position  that  may  be  en-^ 
trusted  to  a  humble  and  devoted  Christian  teacher,  is 
to  him  a  matter  of  little  consequence.  For  he  has  but 
one  purpose,  and  that  is  to  accomplish  God's  will  and 
to  save  his  soul.  If  he  should  succeed  in  this  one  ob- 
ject, he  is  wholly  indifferent  whether  the  field  of  his 
zealous  labors  which  obedience  assigns  him,  be  es- 
teemed great  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  or  mean,  or 
contemptible.  He  is  supremely  happy  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  duty,  because  the  commands  of  his  su- 
periors are  to  him  only  so  many  evident  manifesta- 
tions of  God's  will. 

St.  Canisius,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  furnishes  us 
a  practical  illustration  of  this  truth.  Germany  was  in 
great  admiration  at  the  powerful  preaching  and 
shining  virtues  of  the  Saint.  The  Rev.  Father  Hoff, 
his  Provincial,  nevertheless,  ordered  him  to  go  to 
Augsburg  to  replace  a  fellow-religious  whom  neces- 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         155 

sity  obliged  to  be  absent  for  a  year.  This  test  of 
obedience  was  doubtless  severe  on  human  nature.  But 
the  superior  desired  to  give  St.  Canisius  a  relaxation 
as  well  as  a  distraction  from  his  profound  and  assid- 
uous studies,  and  indirectly,  to  place  before  the 
younger  brethren  a  charming  example  of  perfect 
obedience  and  humility. 

The  Saint  instantly  obeyed,  and  accordingly  made 
the  necessary  preparations  for  his  immediate  journey. 

"My  dear  Father,  I  trust  that  you  will  soon  return 
to  resume  your  labors,"  observed  a  f ellow- worker ; 
"for  it  must  be  a  very  great  privation  to  you  to  re- 
linquish them. ' ' 

"Let  the  studies  perish!"  was  the  unhesitating 
answer  of  the  fervent  Canisius,  "provided  that  the 
obedience  which  I  have  vowed,  remain  intact ! ' ' 

He  was  found  at  his  post  at  Augsburg  on  the  ap- 
pointed day.  When  at  the  expiration  of  the  year,  the 
Father  came  back,  St.  Canisius  returned  to  his  inter- 
rupted studies  with  as  much  ardor  as  though  he  had 
never  left  Dillengen. 

The  only  relaxation  he  had  permitted  himself,  was 
to  spend  several  hours  of  each  day  in  holy  contempla- 
tion. The  brethren  who  labored  and  studied  with  him, 
became  alarmed  at  his  assiduity  to  study,  and  feared 
the  consequences  of  such  a  continual  mental  strain  on 
his  physical  constitution.  They  considered  themselves 
perfectly  justified  in  communicating  their  apprehen- 
sions to  the  superiors.  Accordingly,  St.  Canisius  re- 
ceived orders  occasionally  to  interrupt  his  mental 
labors,  and  to  indulge,  as  a  relaxation,  in  some  physi- 
cal exercises. 


156    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Thenceforth,  the  learned  Canisius  could  frequent- 
ly be  found  recreating  himself  in  the  meanest,  low- 
liest employments  of  the  house.  It  was  not  an  un- 
common thing  to  find  him,  broom  in  hand,  sweeping 
the  stairways  or  corridors.  He  did  everything  with 
the  utmost  care  and  scrupulous  attention.  In  these 
humble  duties,  he  found  an  excellent  opportunity  of 
practising  humility,  which  rendered  him  perfectly 
happy,  as  his  radiant,  joyous,  and  modest  countenance 
gave  ample  evidence.  Sometimes  he  would  go  to  the 
kitchen,  and  obey  with  alacrity  the  least  wish  of  the 
Brother  cook.  One  of  his  greatest  delights  was  in 
preparing  the  vegetables  for  the  meals,  or  in  washing 
the  dishes  and  kitchen  utensils.  Thus  did  he  guard 
himself  against  the  possible  temptations  to  pride  or 
vanity,  suggested  by  the  great  celebrity  he  had  ob- 
tained on  account  of  his  wonderful  preaching.  The 
poor  and  lowly  he  always  treated  with  respect  and 
consideration,  never  complaining  even  when  they  in- 
sisted upon  importuning  him.  When  some  of  his 
brethren  would  express  surprise  at  such  charming 
condescension,  he  would  meekly  answer  him  in  the 
language,  of  our  Divine  Master :  Unless  you  become  as 
little  children,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  (1> 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  xviii,  3. 


LACK  OP  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         157 

IV. 

REASON  WHY  SOME  MURMUR  AT  THE  LACK  OP  APPRECIA- 
TION  OR  ATTENTION. 

"Whoever  complains  or  murmurs  does  so  ordinarily 
on  account  of  wounded  self-love.  For,  if  we  divest 
ourselves  wholly  of  self  and  fix  our  hearts  solely  on 
God  and  the  things  pertaining  to  Him,  we  will  have 
no  cause  to  find  fault  at  the  seeming  neglect  we  may 
have  to  suffer.  Moreover,  if  we  banish  self  from  our 
daily  calculations,  we  will  always  be  content  with  the 
intercourse  of  our  neighbor.  But  this  tendency  to 
murmuring  is  unfortunately  one  of  our  frailties,  a 
bad  leaven  that  we  inherit  from  our  first  parents.  It 
is  nature  opposed  to  grace.  Therein  shall  we  find  the 
source  of  all  our  murmurings. 

Consequently,  "the  reason  of  the  complaints  and 
murmurs  of  a  teacher,  who  is  dissatisfied  with  the 
position  he  holds, ' '  explains  Father  Surin, ' '  may  justly 
be  ascribed  either  to  a  want  of  uprightness  of  inten- 
tion and  a  want  of  love  of  God,  or  to  infidelity  in  His 
service  and  lack  of  zeal  for  His  glory.  The  true  ser- 
vants of  God  have  no  thought  of  themselves  or  their 
personal  interests,  but  rather  despise  themselves, 
thereby  rendering  themselves  more  capable  of  devot- 
ing their  whole  strength  to  the  advancement  of  their 
Master 's  honor  and  glory.  Hence,  the  reason  why  the 
saints  are  ever  reiterating  to  us  the  same  thing  and 
always  in  the  same  refrain,  that  the  surest  and  safest 
way  to  serve  God  is  to  be  unmindful  of  self,  and  to 
sacrifice  everything  we  have  to  His  glory.  To  lose  our 


158    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

reputation  and  to  be  abandoned  by  all  those  whose 
esteem  we  valued  is  unquestionably  painful,  if  not 
cruel,  to  the  unmortified  man.  Indeed,  if  we  be  not 
altogether  dead  to  self,  we  will  not  easily  turn  aside 
from  whatever  may  tend  to  flatter  our  passions.  Con- 
sequently, it  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  understand  the 
privation  of  grace  incurred,  and  the  consequent  com- 
mission of  so  many  grievous  offences.  Self-love  is  the 
root  of  all  the  passions.  These,  being  excited  by  it  as 
if  by  tempestuous  winds,  cause  violent  agitations 
which  usually  end  in  a  disastrous  shipwreck.  //  thou 
hadst  once  perfectly  entered  into  the  interior  of  Jesus, 
says  Thomas  a  Kempis,  (1)  and  experienced  a  little  of 
His  burning  Love,  then  ivouldst  thou  not  care  at  all 
for  thy  own  convenience  or  inconvenience,  but  wouldst 
rather  rejoice  at  reproach,  because  the  love  of  Jesus 
makes  a  man  despise  himself.  Would  to  God  that  we 
had  tasted  the  sweetness  of  this  love  which,  uniting 
our  hearts  to  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  would  induce  us  to 
enter  into  His  views  and  accept  His  saving  doctrine ! 
Then  we  would  give  little  attention  to  what  the  world 
might  say  or  think,  and  our  purity  of  intention  would 
always  be  preserved  intact." 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  II,  chapter  I.,  6. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         159 

V. 

WHEN  GRACE  ENLIGHTENS  THE  SOUL,  SHE  IS  THEN  CON- 
VINCED THAT  SHE  MERITS  PUNISHMENT 
RATHER  THAN  ESTEEM. 

The  heroic  Marceau,  commandant  of  the  ARCHE 
D 'ALLIANCE,  had  completed  a  cruise  of  forty- two 
months  in  the  service  of  the  mission.  His  noble  un- 
dertaking throughout  had  been  conducted  with  rare 
ability  and  success.  On  all  sides  were  heard  nothing 
but  a  unanimous  chorus  of  thanksgiving  and  praise 
in  honor  of  the  zealous  commandant  of  the  expedition. 
He  was  not  elated,  but,  being  the  more  deeply  pene- 
trated with  the  sense  of  his  nothingness,  he  conformed 
himself  to  the  evangelical  maxim:  When  you  shall 
have  done  all  that  was  commanded  you,  still  say:  We 
are  unprofitable  servants. 

In  writing  to  a  friend,  we  find  the  following 
humble  language:  ''Pray  to  God  that  I  may  not  be 
guilty  of  any  foolishness  which  might  in  any  way 
compromise  my  work.  Ask  of  Him  likewise,  that  I 
may  employ  the  rest  of  my  days  more  profitably  and 
to  better  advantage  than  I  have  hitherto  done.  I  have 
already  entered  upon  my  fortieth  year,  and  I  have 
commenced  to  love  and  serve  God  only  the  last  six 
years!  ....  If  I  would  do  so  only  now!" 
And  he  signed  himself :  The  least  of  the  children  of 
Mary.  We  glean  also  from  other  correspondence  of 
this  period  that  he  thanked  God  for  having  enlight- 
ened him  that  he  merited  nothing  ....  but 
eternal  punishment.  This  is  the  language  and  action 
of  souls  who  work  for  God  alone. 


160    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Another  instance  of  his  humility  is  manifest  in 
the  following  event:  When  Commandant  Marceau 
happened  later  on  to  anchor  at  Sydney,  he  was  ap- 
prised of  the  action  of  his  Holiness,  who  had  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  honorable  title  of  Knight  of  the 
Pontifical  Order  of  St.  Gregory  the  Great.  This 
proud  distinction  was  a  great  stimulus  to  the  faithful 
servant  of  the  church,  and  wras  considered  by  him  as  a 
new  manifestation  of  the  Divine  Will,  concerning  the 
great  work  which  he  had  undertaken.  His  humility, 
however,  was  startled,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
advice  of  his  Director,  Father  Colomb,  he  would  have 
kept  this  honor  a  profound  secret.  We  are  also  in- 
formed that  when  he  read  the  brief  of  the  Pope,  con- 
stituting him  Knight,  he  could  not  refrain  from 
shedding  tears.  Thus  are  noble  souls  esteemed  and 
honored,  even  wrhile  seeking  to  remain  unknown. 


VI. 

HOW    TO    AVOID    SELF-SEEKING    AND    TO    ACQUIRE    THE 
SPIRIT  OF  RENUNCIATION  OF   SELFISH  INTERESTS. 

"First,  whatever  may  be  our  age  and  occupa- 
tion," according  to  Father  Surin,  "we  must  needs 
desire  and  seek  God  only,  and  believe  firmly  that  un- 
less we  do  so  we  can  not  possibly  stifle  self-love.  'We 
do  nothing  but  ramble  amid  flesh  and  blood, '  said  St. 
Augustine;  'we  are  always  occupied  in  seeking  our 
honor  and  pleasure;  for,  nothing  sensibly  affects  us, 
save  what  touches  our  reputation  or  disturbs  our  re- 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         161 

pose.  We  are  not  wholly  unmindful  of  the  things  of 
God,  but  we  bring  ourselves  to  regard  them  with 
considerable  carelessness  and  indifference.  We  view 
them  as  from  afar;  and  should  we  chance,  at  all,  to 
apply  ourselves  to  them,  it  is  only  on  extraordinary 
occasions.  But,  ordinarily,  the  success  of  our  petty, 
insignificant  projects  engages  our  daily  calculations.' 

"Second,  we  must  needs  study  how  to  die  to  our- 
selves continually;  hence,  we  should  conquer  our- 
selves, not  only  in  great  things,  but  even  in  the  very 
least.  Indeed  it  is  no  small  thing  to  renounce  our 
own  will  in  little  things.  St.  Ignatius  particularly 
commanded  the  members  of  his  Society  to  study  self- 
abnegation,  that  thus  their  mortification  might  be 
entire  and  continual.  Whoever  makes  this  his  special 
study,  will  infallibly  drive  from  his  heart  the  greatest 
enemy  of  Divine  love,  which  is  no  other  than  self-love. 

"Third,  we  must  needs  be  exceedingly  attentive 
to  direct  our  intention,  that,  through  a  simple  and 
honest  view,  we  may  come  to  consider  God  in  all  things 
and  refer  all  our  actions  to  His  glory.  We  should 
be  very  careful  never  to  deviate  from  this  line  of 
conduct,  either  through  a  want  of  thought  or  through 
a  natural  impetuosity.  Thus  we  will,  at  'all  times,  be 
free  to  raise  our  hearts  to  God  and  unite  ourselves 
more  intimately  to  Him  in  accordance  with  the  law 
of  perfect  love." 

Moreover,  a  heart  that  is  strongly  and  unswerv- 
ingly attached  to  any  object,  or  to  a  passion,  or  to 
some  duty,  should  adopt  some  significant  motto  ex- 
pressive of  its  aim  in  life,  wh^ich  would  act  as  a  talis- 
man as  well  as  an  indication  of  the  all-absorbing 
11 


162  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

powers  of  the  soul.  Every  pursuit  in  life  seems  to 
have  one  indicative  of  its  aim.  Glory  is  the  watch- 
word of  the  soldier;  fame,  of  the  man  of  letters; 
wealth,  of  the  merchant ;  my  children,  of  the  father  of 
the  family;  my  salvation,  of  the  Christian.  The 
saints,  too,  had  their  significant  saying  which  ex- 
pressed the  sum  of  their  lives.  Thus,  All  for  the 
greater  glory  of  God,  was  the  characteristic  motto  of 
St.  Ignatius ;  To  suffer  or  die,  of  St.  Theresa ;  Neither 
to  suffer  as  now,  nor  yet  to  die,  but  to  suffer  more,  of 
St.  Mary  Magdalene  of  Pazzi;  God  alone,  of  Com- 
mandant Marceau;  Glory  to  God,  profit  to  my  neigh- 
bor, suffering  to  me,  of  an  heroic  soul.  God  and 
souls  are  my  all,  everything  else  is  worthless  to  me, 
should  then  be  the  motto  of  the  Christian  teacher.  If 
this  motto  be  deeply  engraved  on  his  heart,  it  is  im- 
possible to  conceive,  how  he  will  ever  complain  or  mur- 
mur, when  seemingly  neglected  or  little  esteemed  by 
the  world. 


VII. 

SACRIFICE     TO     GOD,     IN     GOOD     FAITH,     ALL     SELFISH 
INTERESTS. 

"We  pass  whole  years,"  writes  Father  Lalle- 
mant,  (1)  "and,  sometimes  our  entire  life,  hesitating 
whether  or  not  we  should  consecrate  ourselves  unre- 
servedly to  God's  service.  We  can  not  bring  ourselves 
to  make  the  sacrifice  complete.  We  seem  to  keep  in 

( 1)  Doctrine  Spirituelle. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         163 

reserve  so  many  affections,  projects,  desires,  and  pre- 
tensions, of  which  we  do  not  wish  wholly  to  divest 
ourselves  with  that  perfect  spirit  of  self-sacrifice, 
which  disposes  us  to  be  occupied  fully  with  God. 
These  serve  as  so  many  bonds  by  which  the  enemy 
holds  us  attached  to  impede  our  progress  in  the  way 
of  perfection.  We  will  be  forced  to  confess,  at  the 
hour  of  death,  how  foolishly  we  have  acted,  and  we 
will  then  also  clearly  perceive  how  we,  like  children, 
were  amused  by  such  trifles. 

"We  are  for  years  struggling  against  God,  and 
resisting  His  inspirations  and  the  movements  of  His 
grace,  which  are  ever  interiorly  urging  us  to  escape 
from  our  miseries,  by  cutting  off  the  vain  amusements 
that  arrest  our  progress,  and,  by  devoting  ourselves, 
without  any  misgivings,  unreservedly  to  God.  But, 
cowards  that  we  are,  overwhelmed  by  the  weight  of 
our  self-love,  blinded  by  our  ignorance,  constrained 
by  false  and  unfounded  fears,  we  hesitate,  dare  not 
take  the  step.  And  yet,  fearing  to  be  miserable,  we 
will  ever  remain  in  misery,  instead  of  giving  ourselves 
completely  and  entirely  to  God,  who  desires  that  we 
belong  to  Him  only  to  be  free  from  our  wretched 
bondage.  We  must,  then,  resolutely  and  forever,  re- 
nounce honestly  and  sincerely  all  our  selfish  interests 
and  pleasures,  all  our  selfish  projects  and  our  self- 
will,  to  depend  henceforth  upon  the  good  pleasure 
of  God  alone,  and  generously  resign  ourselves  into  His 
hands." 


164    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

VIII. 

SEEK  NEITHER  PERSONAL   COMPORT  NOR  EASE. 

On  one  of  his  official  visits,  Commandant  Marceau 
was  necessitated  to  land  at  Taiti.  There,  the  only 
pieces  of  furniture  in  his  dining  room,  were  a  rude 
white  wooden  table,  and  a  plain  board  bench.  In  this 
modest  appartment,  the  minister  of  France  to 
Oceanica  and  the  Commandant  transacted  their  busi- 
ness and  took  their  dinner,  which  consisted  of  two 
very  meagre  dishes,  served  from  the  nearest  inn. 
Upon  his  return  to  Europe,  this  particular  occasion 
and  its  attendant  circumstances  were  recalled  to  the 
holy  man's  memory,  and  being  asked  how  it  was  that 
so  distinguished  an  officer  of  the  Royal  Navy  could 
have  relinquished  the  comforts  and  honors  of  his  own 
table  on  board  the  vessel,  and  content  himself  with 
such  personal  inconvenience,  and  miserable  fare? 

"Ah!"  he  smilingly  replied;  A  man  does  not  enter 
upon  such  a  mission  to  enjoy  his  ease." 

This  beautiful  thought  should  frequently  consti- 
tute the.  subject-matter  of  the  Christian  teacher's 
earnest  meditation.  He  devotes  himself  to  duty,  not 
to  enjoy  all  the  conveniences  of  life,  or  to  obtain  an 
honorable  position,  or  to  gain  the  esteem  and  applause 
of  men,  but  to  glorify  God,  save  souls,  and  merit 
heaven. 

This  should  be  his  sole  ambition. 

"Be  vigilant,  and  delight  in  God's  service,"  ad- 
monishes Thomas  a  Kempis,  (1)  "and  often  think  with 
thyself  to  what  end  thou  earnest  hither  and  why  thou 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Ch.  XXV.,  1. 


LACK  OF  APPRECIATION  IS  DISHEARTENING.         165 

didst  leave  the  world:  was  it  not  that  thou  mightest 
live  to  God,  and  become  a  spiritual  man  ? 

"Be  fervent,  therefore,  in  thy  spiritual  progress, 
for  thou  shalt  shortly  receive  the  reward  of  thy  la- 
bors; and  then  grieve  and  fear  shall  no  more  come 
near  thee. 

"Thou  shalt  labor  now  a  little,  and  thou  shalt  find 
great  rest,  yea,  everlasting  joy. 

' '  If  thou  continue  fruitful  and  fervent  in  working, 
God  will  doubtless  be  faithful  and  liberal  in  reward- 
ing." 


166    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


EIGHTH  OBJECTION. 

FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING :  A  POSITION  OTHER 
THAN  TEACHING  WOULD  BE  MORE  SUITABLE. 

"One    day   thou    wilt   be   blessed ; 
So  still  obey  the  guiding  hand  that  fends 
Thee  safely  through  these  wonders  for  such  ends." — Keats. 

There  is  perhaps  nothing  to  which  self-love  in- 
clines us  more  than  to  maintain  our  opinions  and 
judgments.  The  objection  above  stated  is  only  an- 
other evidence  of  this  truth.  To  hold  opinions  and 
judgments  is  in  itself  neither  good  nor  bad.  Indeed, 
it  is  very  natural  that  a  man,  rational  being  as  he  is, 
should  judge  and  form  opinions  on  all  matters  that 
come  under  his  observation.  This  is  his  birthright, 
and  neither  can  it  be  said  that  the  holding  and  main- 
taining of  such  opinions  and  judgments  prevent  him 
from  attaining  his  perfection.  But  there  is  here  a 
lurking  danger,  for  we  are  most  apt  to  become  at- 
tached to  them.  Now,  whenever  that  happens,  then 
assuredly  such  opinions  and  judgments  would  be  op- 
posed to  our  Christian  perfection,  for  they  would  un- 
questionably spring  from  self-love,  which  has  its 
source  in  pride,  and  hence  they  become  detrimental  to 
our  spiritual  progress.  For  this  inordinate  love  which 
we  evidence  for  our  own  judgments  would  develop 
into  obstinacy  of  will,  one  of  the  prolific  sources  of 
much  misery.  Consequently,  those  who  love  and 
esteem  their  own  judgments  and  stubbornly  maintain 
them,  will  rarely,  if  ever,  become  perfect. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  167 

And  yet  the  poet  declares  that 

"A  soul  without  reflection,  like  a  pile 
Without  inhabitant,  to  ruin  runs."  (1) 

Now,  honest  reflection  will  convince  us  that  others 
have  an  equal  right  to  their  judgments,  which  should 
have  the  tendency  to  make  us  less  obstinate  in  mat- 
ters where  another's  judgment  or  opinion  may  be  of 
greater  value  than  our  own.  For  remember  that  we 
are  never  a  good  judge  of  our  own  case,  for  our  bias 
is  too  pronounced.  Self-love  is  averse  to  the  naked 
truth.  The  poet  conceived  rightly  when  he  said : 

"Mortal   vision   is   a  grievous  bar 
To    perfect    judgment."  (2) 

Not  unfrequently  do  we  find  men  who  cheerfully 
renounce  their  judgments  and  opinions  concerning 
some  matters  and  as  joyfully  submit  their  will  to 
others,  but  who,  nevertheless,  reserve  to  themselves 
the  perfect  right  of  refusing  to  comply  whenever  their 
self-love  suggests  a  more  strongly  preconceived  course. 
We  have  many  illustrations  of  this  tendency  of  our 
fickle  nature  in  the  conduct  of  our  pupils  and  in  our 
daily  intercourse  with  men.  How  often  do  we  not 
hear  persons  declare:  "I  obey  joyfully  and  submit 
willingly  to  such  a  teacher,  professor,  or  superior;" 
and  almost  invariably  add,  "but  such  an  one  is  too 
austere,  harsh,  and  imperious,  and  hence  I  can  not 
possibly  bring  myself  to  obey  him  implicitly."  Evi- 
dently, there  is  here  an  imperfection  and  a  clear 
proof  that  self-love  holds  them  captive  to  their  own 
judgment  and  opinion.  Now,  "no  one  can  doubt," 

(1)  Young's  Night  Thoughts.     (2)  G.  H.  Boker. 


168    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

teaches'St.  Francis  de  Sales,  "that  this  is  very  con- 
trary to  perfection,  for  it  usually  produces  uneasi- 
ness of  mind,  frivolity,  murmuring;  and,  lastly,  it 
nourishes  the  love  of  our  own  esteem;  therefore, 
neither  our  own  opinion  nor  our  own  judgment  ought 
to  be  loved  and  esteemed." 

"In  all  our  works,  words,  and  thoughts,"  affirms 
Louis  of  Blois,  (1)  "we  must  sincerely  seek  God,  and 
refer  all  things  to  His  honor,  and  have  a  heart  pure 
and  free.  It  can  not  be  said,  how  grateful  to  God 
and  faithful  to  ourselves  will  be  this  holy  intention. ' ' 
Moreover,  ' '  we  ought  not, ' '  said  St.  Anselm,  ' '  always 
wish  what  God  wishes;  but  we  ought  to  wish  that 
which  God  wishes  us  to  wish."  (2)  And  elsewhere  he 
admirably  supplements  this  dictum:  "God  alone 
ought  to  wish  anything  of  His  own  will.  When  man 
wishes  anything  of  his  own  will,  he  takes  away  from 
God,  as  it  were,  his  crown;  and  as  the  proper  will  of 
God  is  the  source  and  origin  of  all  good,  so  the  proper 
will  of  man  is  the  beginning  of  all  evil."  (3)  Besides, 
"it  is  self-love,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "that  burns  eter- 
nally in  hell,  for  it  ruins  and  destroys  whatever  it 
touches.  If  found  in  heaven,  it  is  cast  out;  for  the 
angels  were  banished  only  because  of  self-will,  be- 
cause they  wished  to  become  like  God,  and  on  that  ac- 
count were  precipitated  into  hell.  If  found  on  earth, 
it  robs  man  of  grace,  and  subjects  him  to  death,  as 
happened  to  our  first  parents  in,  the  terrestrial  para- 
dise. ' '  Henry  Suso  likewise  expressed  this  truth  when 
he  affirmed  that  "a  soul  truly  submissive  to  the  will 


(1)  Institution  Spirituelle.     (2)  De  Similitudinibus,  cap.  clix. 
(S)  Ibid.,  c.  viii. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  169 

of  God  is  attached  to  nothing  created;  it  knows  that 
all  things,  out  of  God,  are  vanity  and  nothingness; 
hence  it  has  no  other  object  in  view  than  to  die  to 
itself,  and  to  be  resigned  fully,  always,  and  in  all 
things." 

Now,  does  any  man  doubt,  asks  Bacon,  fV  that  if 
there  be  taken  out  of  men's  minds  vain  opinions,  flat- 
tering hopes,  false  valuations,  imaginations,  as  one 
would  and  the  like,  but  it  would  leave  the  minds  of  a 
number  of  men  poor,  shrunken  things,  full  of  melan- 
choly indisposition,  and  unpleasing  to  themselves? 
And  we  may  appropriately  cite  Bishop  Ullathorne,  a 
man  of  profound  scholarship,  erudition,  and  a  close 
observer  of  human  nature,  who  confirms  Bacon's 
view.  "The  moment  the  scholar  ceases  to  believe  in 
his  teacher  or  the  disciple  in  his  professor,"  he  ob- 
serves justly;  "so  soon  as  he  begins  to  judge  and 
criticize,  he  assumes  superiority ;  his  faith  is  gone,  and 
he  ceases  to  learn,  for  he  has  closed  his  mind  to  the 
authority  of  the  teacher.  If,  notwithstanding,  there  is 
a  real  superiority  of  knowledge  and  wisdom  in  the 
teacher,  it  is  the  pride  of  the  pupil  that  has  closed  to 
him  the  gate  of  knowledge."  W  This  is  merely  an- 
other form  of  adhering  to  personal  opinions  or  a  man- 
ifestation of  self-love.  Hence  it  is  that  self-love 
makes  us  desire  to  do  such  and  such  a  thing  of  our 
own  choice,  observed  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  but  we 
would  not  desire  to  do  it  if  of  another's  choice,  or 
from  obedience.  (Z> 


(1)  Essay  on  Truth. 

(2)  The  Groundwork  of  Christian  Virtues. 
(S)  Letters. 


170    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Whence  it  follows,  that  we  must  ask  for  nothing, 
renouncing  our  own  opinions  and  judgments,  becom- 
ing the  willing  instruments  in  the  hands  of  our  su- 
periors. We  must,  moreover,  concede  to  them  the 
perfect  right  to  form,  hold,  and  maintain  their 
opinions,  for  they  are  appointed  by  God  to  guide, 
direct,  and  govern.  Now,  were  we  to  occupy  ourselves 
with  our  own  opinions,  they  would  naturally  entail 
a  considerable  loss  of  time  and  distract  us  from  that 
perfect  union  with  God,  which  is  so  essential  to  our 
sublime  ministry.  But,  with  superiors,  it  is  altogether 
different.  For  they  would  be  deemed  \vholly  in- 
capable and  incompetent  for  their  exalted,  though 
onerous,  position,  if  they  did  not  form  opinions  and 
make  determined  resolutions,  as  St.  Francis  de  Sales 
admirably  teaches;  but  they  ought  not,  on  that  ac- 
count, to  take  pleasure  in  them  or  become  attached  to 
them,  since  this  would  be  contrary  to  their  perfection. 
"For  it  must  always  be  remembered  by  superiors," 
remarks  Bishop  Ullathorne,  "and  especially  by  those 
who  are  the  instruments  of  God's  goodness  to  souls, 
that  the  graces  of  which  they  are  the  channels  are 
not  the  graces  for  their  personal  sanctification,  not 
gratice  gratum  facientes,  but  the  graces  given  for 
others,  the  gratice  gratis  data."  Thus  it  is  clearly 
manifest  that  superiors  are  endowed  by  God  with 
special  lights  and  graces  to  enable  them  to  fulfill  the 
many  responsible  duties  of  their  high  station.  More- 
over, their  greater  knowledge  of  matters  in  general 
and  their  greater  experience  guides  them  in  their 
opinions  and  decisions  as  to  what  may  be  best  for  the 
general  good.  Hence  we  ought  to  ask  with  St.  Paul : 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  171 

Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do?  George  Mc- 
Donald admirably  expresses  the  idea  when  he  declares 
that  "obedience  is  the  key  to  every  door.  "  ^  In- 
deed, if  we  ardently,  sincerely  wish  to  do  effective 
work,  submission  to  the  will  of  our  superiors  is  the 
surest  and  best  way  to  do  what  God  demands  of  us. 
"Where  the  authority  of  God  is  represented,"  ob- 
serves Ullathorne,  (2>  ' '  there  a  special  reverence  and 
submission  is  due,  proportioned  to  the-  nature  and 
extent  of  that  authority ;  not  to  the  man  as  he  is  man, 
but  to  the  power  and  dignity  of  that  authority  which 
is  inseparable  from  the  man."  And  besides,  "there 
is  no  greater  error, ' '  he  also  notices,  ' '  than  the  vulgar 
notion  that  a  life  of  obedience  is  a  life  without  free- 
dom. What  authority  does  is  to  mark  out  a  sphere 
of  action ;  what  obedience  does  is  to  fill  up  that  sphere 
with  free  intelligence  and  judgment."  Remember, 
furthermore,  that  "as  the  will  in  authority  is  wiser 
by  position  and  experience  than  the  will  in  obedience, 
the  one  improves  the  judgment  of  the  other."  And, 
therefore,  "as  the  object  of  obedience,"  according 
to  the  teaching  of  St.  Thomas,  "is  not  our  own  will 
but  the  will  of  a  superior,  which  may  be  either  written 
law  or  rule,  or  the  spoken  will  of  the  superior,  obe- 
dience is  generally  more  perfect  when  it  is  not  only 
cheerfully  complied  with,  but  where  there  is  least  of 
our  own  will,  way,  or  inclination  in  it,  and  most  of  the 
will  of  the  superior.  The  reason  is,  that  such  obedi- 
ence has  a  greater  renunciation  of  self-love  and  self- 
will  and  calls  for  greater  effort  to  overcome  adverse 


(1)  In  "The  Marquis  of  Lossie." 

(2)  The  Groundwork  of  the  Christian  Virtues. 


172    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

inclinations  and  external  difficulties.  Whilst,  on  the 
other  hand,  when  everything  goes  our  own  way,  we 
may  be  rather  inclined  to  look  to  our  own  will  than 
to  the  precept  for  pur  motive.  But  this  is  to  be  un- 
derstood as  it  outwardly  appears;  for  God,  \vho  sees 
the  heart,  may  find  a  devoted  obedience  to  the  will  of 
the  superior  which  is  not  -less  praiseworthy  in  one 
whose  inclination  goes  with  obedience  than  in  another 
who  has  to  overcome  an  adverse  inclination."  {1) 

It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  when  obedience  or- 
dains or  prescribes  that  we  resign  our  present  position 
to  assume  another,  the  superiors  were,  in  a  manner, 
forced  to  act  thus  on  account  of  circumstances  which 
the  general  good  demanded.  For  it  is  a  sound  prin- 
ciple in  all  moral  government  that  the  individual  must 
be  sacrificed  for  the  general  good.  And  possibly,  we 
were  the  subjects  whom  the  superiors  judged  best 
suited  or  most  competent,  to  meet  the  emergency  and 
the  special  needs  of  both  time  and  place.  Hence,  to 
murmur  or  to  criticize  would  be  a  positive  evidence  of 
our  imperfect  will  and  of  attachment  to  our  own  judg- 
ment. Superiors  are  in  a  better  position  to  know  what 
is  demanded,  and  we  would  act  wisely  and  prudently 
to  obey  cheerfully,  being  fully  convinced  that  their 
order  or  command  is  our  guarantee  of  God's  will. 

Besides,  such  changes  may  be  productive  of  excel- 
lent results  not  only  for  ourselves  individually,  but 
also  for  those  over  whom  we  shall  be  placed.  There- 
fore, let  us  heed  the  kindly  admonition  of  Bishop 
Ullathorne,  who  is  a  safe  and  prudent  guide  in  the 
spiritual  life.  "We  must  never  anticipate,"  he  coun- 

(1)  Sum.  ii,  2  q.,  lOJf,  a  2  ad  3. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  173 

sels,  "but  follow  the  leading  of  the  Providence  of 
God.  If  we  anticipate  the  order  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence, we  put  our  own  will  in  the  place  of  the  will  of 

God Our  Lord  did  not  tell  us  to  go 

before  Him,  but  to  follow  Him ;  and  the  Prophet  says : 
It  is  good  to  wait  with  silence  for  the  salvation  of 
God.  Nature  is  excitable,  impatient,  and  indeliberate ; 
the  help  of  God  is  calm,  patient,  and  given  in  clue 
season,  according  as  He  sees  best  for  us.  To  rush  in 
where  God  has  not  invited  us,  or  to  aim  at  wonders 
above  ourselves,  is  to  yield  to  the  excitable  impulsion 
of  nature;  but  to  follow  the  Divine  leading  of  grace 
in  humility  and  obedience  is  to  act  within  the  order 
of  the  Divine  gifts. ' ' 

St.  Francis  de  Sales,  who  was  remarkable  for  gen- 
tleness of  spirit  and  conformity  to  God's  will,  ought 
to  be  regarded  as  a  consummate  teacher  on  this  im- 
portant question.  Consequently,  should  we  deem  our- 
selves incompetent  for  the  position  obedience  has 
assigned  us,  let  us  give  his  words  a  most  careful  and 
attentive  study.  "If  you  have  no  virtue  or  perceive 
none  in  yourself,"  he  confidently  assures  us,  "do  not 
disturb  yourself;  for  if,  for  the  glory  of  God,  or  to 
satisfy  obedience,  you  undertake  the  guidance  of  souls, 
or  any  other  employment,  whatever  it  may  be,  God  will 
take  care  of  you,  and  will  be  bound  tp  provide  you 
with  all  that  may  be  necessary,  as  well  for  you  as  for 
those  whom  He  will 'put  under  your  charge.  It  is  true, 
that  what  you  are  undertaking  is  a  matter  of  great 
consequence  and  great  importance;  but,  nevertheless, 
you  would  be  wrong  if  you  did  not  hope  for  good  sue- 


174    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

cess,  seeing  that  you  do  not  undertake  it  of  your  own 
choice,  but  to  comply  with  obedience."  (!) 

Therefore,  if  we  sincerely  desire  our  own  success, 
we  must  be  as  docile  instruments  in  the  hands  of 
our  superiors,  as  clay  in  the  potter's  hands.  Above 
all,  let  us  never  obstruct  their  plans,  but  do  whatever 
we  are  commanded  with  alacrity  and  cheerfulness. 
It  is  a  matter  of  utter  indifference  to  the  true  Chris- 
tian educator  when  or  where  his  services  are  called 
into  requisition,  or  how  often  he  may  be  transferred 
from  one  class  to  another.  It  suffices  for  him  to 
know  that  the  superior  commands,  and  that  it  is  his 
simple  duty  to  obey.  He  will  say  with  St.  Canisius : 
Perish  studies  or  anything  that  will  interfere  with 
my  obedience ;  perish  my  own  opinions  and  judgments 
that  would  raise  within  my  heart  a  rebellious  spirit 
and  snatch  away  my  crown !  If  such  be  our  conduct, 
we  may  truthfully  say  with  Horace :  /  am  not  what 
I  was,  that  is,  from  being  imperfect  and  attached  to 
my  own  opinions,  I  have  trampled  upon  self-love  and 
self-will  and  followed  the  guidance  and  lead  of  a 
superior.  Assuredly,  we  will  not  then  complain,  or 
presume  to  dictate  what  shall  be  best  for  us.  Neither 
will  we  ever  stoop  to  make  use  of  any  indirect  means 
to  get  rid  of  an  employment  or  bring  about  our  change 
of  position,  remembering  the  warning  of  Thomas  a 
Kempis :  He  who  striveth  to  draw  himself  from  obe- 
dience withdraweth  himself  from  grace.  <2^ 


(1)  The  Spiritual  Conferences. 

(2)  Bk.  HI.,  c,  xiii,  1. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  175 

ST.    IGNATIUS'    DICTUM    CONCERNING    PRUDENCE    AND 
OBEDIENCE. 

Father  Laynez,  who  was  among  the  first  disciples 
of  St.  Ignatius,  one  day  frankly  acknowledged  to  him 
the  ardent  desire  he  had  of  going  to  India,  saying: 
"Now,  that  I  can  no  longer  entertain  any  hope  of 
going  to  the  Holy  Land,  I  do  ardently  and  earnestly 
long  to  go  to  the  Indies  to  labor  for  the  salvation  of 
infidels." 

' '  As  for  me, ' '  replied  St.  Ignatius, ' '  I  have  no  such 
desire,  and  were  I  to  feel  any,  I  would  certainly  fight 
against  it." 

"But  pray,  how  can  that  be  possible?"  asked  the 
astonished  disciple. 

"As  you  are  perfectly  well  aware,"  rejoined  the 
Saint,  ' '  we  are  bound  by  a  special  vow  to  go  whither- 
soever the  Sovereign  Pontiff  shall  be  pleased  to  send 
us.  Hence  I  must  hold  myself  in  readiness  to  go  to 
any  part  of  the  world,  and  the  East  has  no  greater 
attraction  for  me  than  the  West.  Now,  if  I  were  to 
have  any  particular  preference,  as  you  acknowledged 
you  have,  I  would  deem  it  my  duty  to  crush  such  a 
desire  and  render  myself  perfectly  indifferent  as  to 
whatever  I  might  be  commanded.  I  can  assure  you, 
although  old  and  decrepit  as  I  am,  I  would  not  hesi- 
tate, at  the  least  sign  from  his  Holiness,  to  set  out  on 
foot,  with  only  a  staff  in  hand,  for  Spain  or  any  other 
country.  Nay,  I  should  have  no  hesitancy  to  embark, 
provisionless,  on  any  vessel,  even  were  it  destitute  of 
sails  and  rudder.  In  this  disposition  of  obedience  I 
would  have  no  adverse  inclination  to  overcome,  and  I 
would  even  deem  myself  most  happy." 


176    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"But,  my  dear  Father,"  pleaded  another  member 
of  his  Society,  "what  would  become  of  your  usual 
habit  of  prudence?" 

"Prudence,"  promptly  answered  the  Saint,  "is 
not  the  virtue  of  him  who  obeys,  but  it  belongs  to  him 
who  commands.  For  the  prudence  of  him  who  obeys 
consists  in  sacrificing  prudence  to  obedience. 


II. 


THE  ACTION  OP  SUPERIORS   MUST  NOT  BE  OBSTRUCTED: 
ASK  NOTHING,  REFUSE  NOTHING. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  we  do  not 
prove  a  hindrance  to  the  plans  and  actions  of  su- 
periors. For  the  greater  freedom  and  liberty  we 
allow  them,  the  more  certain  is  our  hope  of  being 
blessed  by  God.  Consequently,  we  should  obey  su- 
periors no  matter  what  motives  may  be  alleged,  even 
when  they  do  not  assign  any  formal  reason  for  the 
orders  they  give.  A  certain  bias  of  the  will,  perhaps 
even  unknown  to  themselves,  toward  one  side  rather 
than  the  other  not  unfrequently  hides  the  will  of 
God  concerning  us,  even  perchance  some  great  design 
in  the  order  of  His  fatherly  Providence.  "We  should 
ever  keep  in  mind  this  salutary  counsel  of  the  amiable 
St.  Francis  de  Sales:  Ask  nothing,  refuse  nothing, 
but  leave  yourself  implicitly  in  the  arms  of  Divine 
Providence,  without  being  diverted  by  any  desire, 
save  wishing  what  God  wills  of  you. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  177 

For  "superiors  to  govern  wisely,"  says  Father 
Valuy,  "they  must  keep  in  view  three  things,  about 
which  inferiors  need  not  concern  themselves,  namely : 
a  general  view  of  the  whole  society  and  its  common 
good ;  a  thorough  knowledge  of  their  inferiors  as  well 
as  the  requirements  of  the  different  employments  and 
positions;  and  the  general  and  special  graces  God 
grants  to  the  ministers  of  His  authority." 

Now,  we  will  never  experience  greater  consolations 
and  meet  with  more  real  success  than  in  those  duties 
which  we  have  accepted  without  any  concurrence  on 
our  part,  and  which  were  even  averse  to  our  natural 
inclinations. 

The  following  incident  is  a  striking  illustration 
of  this  truth: 

' '  We  had  the  exceeding  good  fortune  of  being  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  a- holy  priest, ' '  relates  Father 
Dubois,  (1)  "a  man  truly  worthy  of  that  beautiful 
title,  and  who  frequently  carried  out  in  his  conduct 
the  rules  of  obedience  which  we  had  laid  down.  His 
superiors,  being  cognizant  of  the  fact  that  he  was  ever 
ready  to  execute  their  orders,  no  matter  whatever 
they  might  be,  and  being  equally  aware,  that  his  zeal 
was  equal  to  his  obedience,  made  frequent  calls  upon 
him,  particularly  when  they  had  for  object  the  regen- 
eration of  some  parish. 

"They  had  already  transferred  him  several  times 
from  one  parish  to  another,  whenever  his  labors  were 
deemed  necessary  to  the  saving  of  souls.  But,  like 
a  true,  valiant  soldier,  he  was  ever  ready  to  strike  his 
tent  at  the  word  of  command.  Never  did  lie  allow 


(1)   Guide  du  Seminariste  et  du  jevne  Pretre. 

12 


178    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

himself  to  be  influenced  by  the  consolations  and  joys 
he  found  in  the  different  ministrations.  The  bless- 
ings of  those  whom  he  had  so  faithfully  served,  in- 
variably accompanied  him  to  his  next  mission ;  where- 
as his  loss  was  deeply  deplored  by  the  many  prodigals 
whom  he  had  converted,  and  who  had  come  to  consider 
him  as  a  tender  father. 

"Nevertheless,  there  came  a  day,  when  his  obedi- 
ence was  to  be  put  to  a  severer,  more  crucial  test  than 
it  had  hitherto  been.  Accordingly,  he  received  a  noti- 
fication from  the  Bishop  of  his  Diocese,  appointing 
him  Rector  of  a  parish  which  enjoyed  the  unenviable 
distinction  of  being  classed  as  the  worst  in  the  whole 
Diocese.  The  news  of  his  appointment  was  soon 
noised  about.  Many  of  his  personal  friends  and  ad- 
mirers came  to  him,  urging  him  to  decline  the  appoint- 
ment. But  the  holy  priest  took  a  higher  view  of 
things  and  smilingly  answered  his  friends  with  a 
charming  simplicity:  'I  am  indeed  grateful  to  you 
for  the  deep  interest  you  seem  to  manifest  in  my 
welfare,  but  I  must  inform  you  that  I  can  not  lend  an 
ear  to  your  kind  suggestions,  much  less  follow  your 
well-intentioned  counsel.  I  can  assure  you,  it  is  not 
due  to  a  lack  of  appreciation  for  your  friendship,  but 
because  I  have  already  notified  his  Lordship  of  my 
willing  acceptance.'  Later  on  he  informed  us  that 
never  did  he  experience  so  rrnich  consolation,  nor  ex- 
ercised so  fruitful  a  ministry  as  in  that  very  parish." 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  179 

III. 

HOW    TO    ATTAIN    PERFECT    INDIFFERENCE    AS    TO    EM- 
PLOYMENT. 

"O    sad   estate 

Of  human  wretchedness ;  so  weak  is  man, 
So  ignorant  and  blind,  that  did  not  God 
Sometimes  withhold  in  mercy  what  we  ask, 
We  should  be  ruined  at  our  own  request!" 

— Hannah  Moore. 

Father  Surin  (1)  points  out  the  means  we  should 
adopt  if  we  wish  to  attain  to  this  perfect  indifference 
concerning  our  employment. 

"First,  we  must  needs  free  ourselves,"  he  says, 
"from  all  affection  for  creatures,  give  our  heart 
wholly  to  God,  and  not  view  anything  from  its  most 
attractive  aspect.  It  is  indeed  natural  for  a  man  to 
consider  the  advantages  of  any  employment  to  which 
he  may  be  appointed,  and  to  accept  it  only  because 
it  is  congenial  and  honorable.  Thoughts  of  this  na- 
ture frequently  suggest  themselves  to  us,  but  there  is 
nothing  more  opposed  to  our  spiritual  perfection.  We 
should  desire  nothing  save  the  accomplishment  of 
God's  will.  This  is  the  only  thing  worthy  of  our  es- 
teem, all  else  is  deserving  of  contempt. 

"Second,  when  we  have  undertaken  any  work,  or 
engaged  in  any  employment,  and  are  praised  for  our 
success,  then  indeed  we  must  needs  be  upon  our  guard 
against  the  pleasure  springing  from  that  low,  natural 
joy  which  tends  only  to  nourish  and  increase  our 
pride.  It  is  unquestionably  natural  that  we  take  a 
certain  degree  of  pleasure  in  success,  but  we  should  be 

(1)  Fondements  de  la  Vie  Spirituelle. 


180    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

on  our  guard  lest  this  take  the  place  of  that  sweetness 
which  we  should  always  feel  in  whatever  conies  from 
God.  We  should  not  become  attached  to  anything, 
save  that  which  appertains  to  God's  service,  and, 
should  we  be  confronted  with  obstacles  therein,  we 
must  battle  heroically,  and  banish  from  our  minds  all 
conflicting  thoughts. 

"Third,  should  we  chance  to  be  unsuccessful  and 
should  sadness  strive  to  take  possession  of  our  hearts, 
we  must  needs  be  prompt  and  firm  to  prevent  its 
entrance  therein.  If  we  act  thus,  it  matters  not  what 
our  temporal  loss  may  be,  we  will  never  be  disheart- 
ened, for,  then,  no  calamity  can  deprive  us  of  our 
peace  of  mind.  We  should,  on  the  contrary,  raise 
our  hearts  to  heaven,  that  there  we  may,  by  faith, 
perceive  God's  goodness  and  mercy  toward  us,  and 
thus  we  will  free  ourselves  from  that  worry  and 
chagrin  which  are,  most  ordinarily,  caused  by  dis- 
grace, failure,  or  loss.  Indeed,  it  may  even  happen 
that  after  such  sad  experiences,  we  will  feel  as  con- 
tent as  though  we  had  suffered  no  loss,  either  in 
wealth  or  honor. 

"Afflictions  of  this  nature,  however  trivial  they 
may  appear,  bring  generally  in  their  wake  a  great  de- 
jection and  anxiety  of  mind,  which  are  very  detri- 
mental to  the  soul,  since  they  render  it  incapable  of 
disengaging  itself  from  things  earthly,  and  thereby 
preventing  an  intimate  union  with  God.  Consequent- 
ly, the  soul,  acting  no  longer  through  a  motive  of 
pleasing  God,  becomes  naturally  attached  to  creatures, 
remains  in  a  state  of  constant  unrest,  and  is  neces- 
sarily the  slave  of  many  objects  which  divide  its  love 
and  destroy  its  peace  and  happiness." 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  181 

IV. 

BEAUTIFUL     EXAMPLE     OF     INDIFFERENCE     AS     TO     EM- 
PLOYMENT. 

In  April,  1626,  St.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal,  de- 
sirous of  founding  a  new  convent  at  Pont-a-Mousson, 
left  Annecy,  accompanied  by  Sister  Paula-Hieronyma 
Favrot,  whom  she  had  appointed  superior.  Their 
departure  was  signalized  by  an  edifying  example  of 
obedience. 

It  happened  that  Sister  Favrot  became  ill  a  few 
days  prior  to  the  appointed  date  of  departure,  and 
Sister  Bernardina-Margaret  was  selected  to  replace 
her.  The  latter  was  on  horseback  at  the  convent  door, 
ready  to  proceed  on  her  journey  with  the  other  sisters, 
when  Sister  Favrot  unexpectedly  appeared,  having 
dragged  herself  out  of  bed,  to  bid  adieu  to  Mother 
Frances  de  Chantal,  who  had  already  entered  her 
litter.  Seeing  Sister  Favrot,  she  kindly  asked  her 
how  she  felt.  ' '  Fairly  well, ' '  was  the  simple  response. 
"Well,  then,  come  and  take  your  seat  beside  me," 
said  Mother  de  Chantal,  "and  let  Sister  Bernardina 
remain  in  the  convent. ' ' 

Instantly,  without  a  word,  while  the  one  entered 
the  litter,  the  other  calmly  and  peacefully  dismounted 
from  her  horse.  Both  thus  testified  that  they  were  as 
ready  to  remain  as  to  depart.  This  holy  indifference 
was  the  more  admirable  as  neither  was  ever  heard  to 
make  the  slightest  allusion  to  this  incident.  Some 
time  afterward,  however,  a  certain  person  asked  Sis- 
ter Bernardina  if  she  did  not  regret  having  been  de- 


182    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

prived  of  the  pleasure  of  this  extended  and  beautiful 
trip.  She  made  this  charming  answer:  "Is  it  not 
said  of  the  master  who  had  servants  under  him,  that 
he  said  to  one :  Go,  and  he  goeth ;  and  to  the  other : 
Come,  and  he  cometh?" 


V. 

SECRET  OF  PRESERVING  TRANQUILLITY  IN  THE  MIDST  OP 
THE  ACCIDENTS  OP  LIFE  AND  THE  LIKE. 

With  equal  minds  what  happens  let  us  bear, 

Nor  joy,  nor  grieve  too  much  for  things  beyond  our  care." 

— Dryden. 

"A  man  who  is  enlightened  by  heaven,"  says 
Father  Surin,  (1)  "and  who  is  governed  by  the  true 
spirit  of  faith,  thinks  only  of  God,  and  counts  all  else 
as  naught.  He  praises  nothing,  and  proposes  nothing 
to  himself  which  does  not  purely  pertain  to  God,  or 
which  does  not  directly  lead  to  God.  Whosoever  acts 
otherwise,  would  find  himself  enveloped,  as  it  were, 
by  a  dense  darkness  which  can  be  dissipated  only  by 
the  exercise  of  mental  prayer.  For  it  is  therein  that 
his  soul  is  illumined  by  a  supernatural  light,  whose 
principal  effect  is  to  open  and  dilate  the  heart,  that 
it  may  raise  itself  to  God,  and  thus  learn  neither  to 
love  or  value  anything,  save  things  eternal. 

"Since  God  has  by  His  grace  provided  us  with  the 
means  and  graces  for  the  acquisition  of  things  su- 
pernatural, we  ought  not  to  amuse  ourselves  by  run- 
ning after  those  which  are  merely  temporal,  unless 

(1)  Fondements  dc  la  Vie  Spirituelle. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  183 

we  desire  to  render  ourselves  miserable.  For,  from 
the  moment  that  we  begin  to  form  an  exalted  idea  of 
things  human,  our  mind  is,  that  instant,  obscured,  and 
our  heart  is  closed  to  the  things  of  God.  Hence  the 
reason  that  we  become  so  sensible  to  the  slightest  acci- 
dents, and  allow  ourselves  to  be  disturbed  by  trifles.  If 
we  were,  however,  possessed  of  a  magnanimous  soul, 
we  would  have  God  ever  present  to  our  minds,  and 
knowing  Him  as  He  is,  often  experiencing  His  con- 
solations, we  would  feel  a  disgust  for  all  things  else, 
and  thus  stifle  that  natural  tendency  within  us  for 
seeing  everything,  hearing  everything,  and  possess- 
ing everything.  Whence  comes,  then,  this  inordinate 
desire  for  praise  and  esteem?  Whence  that  sensi- 
ble delight  when  we  are  advanced  to  a  more  hon- 
orable position?  Whence  comes  this  insatiable  thirst 
for  honors  and  distinctions?  Ah!  it  is  because  of 
our  ignorance  of  what  constitutes  the  real  good; 
it  is  because  of  our  inability  to  comprehend  the  great- 
ness of  God  and  to  estimate  rightly  the  value  of  things 
eternal !  If  we  fully  realized  the  utter  worthlessnesa 
of  everything  mundane,  as  did  the  holy  souls  who 
were,  by  prayer,  closely  united  to  God,  we  would 
shudder  at  the  very  thought  of  becoming  attached 
to  anything  so  contemptible  as  the  false  glitter  and 
empty  honors  of  the  world.  In  this  tendency  we 
recognize  a  general  law.  Every  man  who  knows  not 
how  to  habituate  himself  to  refrain  from  being  af- 
fected by  the  good  or  the  evil  which  happens,  will 
always  be  found  grovelling  in  the  mire  and  dust 
of  the  earth.  He  will  never  be  able  to  raise  himself 
above  sensible  objects;  he  will  veer  with  every  wind, 


184    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

and  be  the  unhappy  subject  of  all  kinds  of  annoy- 
ing influences.  He  will,  moreover,  for  days,  be  the  un- 
fortunate victim  of  keen  disappointments,  and  will 
be  wounded  by  every  imaginary  reproach  or  insult. 
Indeed,  he  is  in  a  state  of  continual  agitation,  an  evi- 
dent indication  of  little  sense  and  a  weak  mind." 


VI. 

THE    HOLIEST    PROJECTS    MUST    BE    SACRIFICED    WHEN 
OBEDIENCE  COMMANDS. 

Joseph  Jame,  a  priest  of  the  Foreign  Missions, 
died,  September  5,  1835,  in  India,  in  the  odor  of 
sanctity.  Before  entering  this  Congregation,  which 
gave  so  many  apostolic  men  and  martyrs  to  the 
Church,  he  was  continually  meditating  how  he  could 
give  himself  unreservedly  and  irrevocably  to  a  life 
of  suffering  and  privation,  even  to  death  itself,  that 
he  might  thereby  repay,  so  far  as  he  could,  the  won- 
derful liberality  of  God  who  gave  His  life  for  him. 

He  made  known  his  secret  longings  to  the  learned 
and  holy  Bishop,  Mgr.  Arbaud,  whose  memory  is  held 
in  pious  veneration  throughout  the  diocese.  He  also 
acquainted  him  of  the  project  he  had  formed  of  con- 
secrating his  life  to  the  propagation  of  the  faith. 
The  virtuous  prelate  held  converse  with  him  on  the 
sublimity  of  such  a  vocation  and  enlarged  upon  the 
essential  qualities  and  virtues  requisite  therefor.  He 
added,  however,  that  he  was  sorely  in  need  of  good 
subjects,  and  that  he  had  destined  him  to  be  pro- 


•FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  185 

fessor  of  the  fourth  class  in  the  preparatory  semi- 
nary. Furthermore,  the  Bishop  placed  upon  him 
the  restriction  not  to  think  of  executing  his  project 
for  at  least  a  year,  during  which  period  he  was  to 
test  his  vocation  and  to  determine  definitely  whether 
or  not,  his  call  was  really  from  God. 

Despite  his  ardent  desire,  Joseph  Jame  submitted 
with  admirable  docility  and  perfect  obedience  to  the 
wishes  of  the  Bishop.  Precisely  on  account  of  the 
conformity  to  His  will,  God  caused  the  absolute  re- 
nunciation of  this  favored  soul  and  the  mortifica- 
tion of  its  desires  to  shine  forth  with  special  lustre. 
Throughout  the  year,  he  refrained  from  breathing 
a  syllable  to  any  one  on  this  all-absorbing  subject,  be- 
ing content  to  commune  only  with  God  concerning  it. 

In  his  correspondence  of  that  year  with  his  broth- 
er, we  find  the  following  passage  which  may  have 
some  trace  of  his  vocation :  "I  am  perfectly  pleased 
with  my  present  position.  The  future  I  leave  in 
God's  hand.  It  does  not  give  me  the  slightest  un- 
easiness. May  God's  holy  will  be  done  in  all  things! 
Indeed,  if  we  wish  to  be  happy,  this  is  the  safest 
and  only  course  to  follow.  And  the  oftener  I  read 
this  beautiful  maxim  of  Thomas  a  Kempis,  the  more 
I  am  forced  to  admire  it :  Renounce  thy  desires  and 
thou  shalt  find  peace.  Hence  let  us  serve  God  each 
according  to  his  lights  and  ability,  and  in  the  posi- 
tion His  Providence  has  assigned  us.  As  for  anything 
else,  let  us  be  wholly  indifferent,  and  we  shall  find 
true  peace,  which  even  the  utter  confusion  of  the 
whole  world  can  not  disturb." 


186    THE  YOUNG  CHKISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

VII. 

OBEDIENCE,  THE  PROPER  MOTIVE,  WHEN  ASSIGNED  TO  A 
DIFFICULT  POSITION. 

"O  what  a  glory  doth  this  world  put  on. 
For  him  who,  with  a  fervent  heart  goes  forth. 
Under  the  bright  and  glorious  sky,  and  looks 
On  duties  well  performed  and  days  well  spent !"(!) 

One  of  the  principal  motives  which  ought  to  in- 
duce our  acceptance  with  joy,  of  whatever  employ- 
ment obedience  may  assign  us,  is  the  certain  knowl- 
edge that  the  will  of  our  superiors  is  the  will  of 
God.  Indeed  this  should  be  to  every  Christian  educa- 
tor a  source  of  great  consolation,  for  in  doing  what 
obedience  prescribes  or  ordains,  he  has  the  positive 
assurance  of  accomplishing  the  will  of  the  Divine 
Master.  Nothing  better  corresponds  to  the  needs  of 
the  soul  than  this  salutary  thought:  It  is  God's  will 
that  I  now  do  this  or  that  act.  Consequently,  there 
should  be  nothing  more  desirable  on  our  part,  since 
nothing  can  be  preferred  to  the  fulfillment  of  the 
Divine  Will.  Now,  whoever  follows  this  principle  will 
never  be  disturbed  by  any  orders  from  his  superiors, 
for  it  is  a  matter  of  little  consequence  to  the  true 
Christian  educator,  whether  he  shall  be  placed  in  a 
high  or  lowly  position,  since  he  has  no  preferences. 
God  will  always  take  care  of  those  who  generously 
renounce  their  own  will,  and  implicitly  place  them- 
selves in  the  hands  of  their  superiors. 

St.   Francis   Xavier   is   unquestionably   a   most 
striking  illustration   of   this   truth.     There   is  not, 

(1)  Longfellow,  Poem  on  Autumn. 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  187 

perhaps,  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  a  vocation 
so  remarkable,  or  an  instance  in  which  the  guiding 
hand  of  Divine  Providence  is  so  clearly  discern- 
ible. 

We  glean  from  the  Life  of  St.  Ignatius  that  he 
had  selected  Fathers  Simon  Rodriguez  and  Nicholas 
Bobadilla  for  the  mission  of  the  Indies.  Simon  Rodri- 
guez, then  in  Rome,  was  in  a  very  weakened  physical 
condition,  due  to  an  intermittent  fever  from  which 
he  had  been  suffering  for  some  time,  but  he  prepared, 
nevertheless,  to  embark  for  Portugal  in  company  with 
the  Ambassador,  Don  Pedro  Mascarenhas,  who  was 
about  returning  home.  Nicholas  Bobadilla  happened 
to  be  in  Calabria.  Having  been  summoned  to  Rome 
by  the  Holy  Father,  he  set  out  immediately;  but 
the  fatigue  of  the  journey  and  a  sudden  excruciating 
pain  in  the  leg  prevented  him  from  undertaking  the 
sea  voyage.  The  Ambassador,  who  was  on  the  eve 
of  his  departure,  could  not  possibly  defer  his  trip 
until  Bobadilla 's  recovery,  and  yet,  not  wishing  to 
set  sail  without  being  accompanied  by  the  two  mis- 
sionaries destined  to  evangelize  the  Indies,  Francis 
Xavier  was  declared  the  substitute  of  the  sick  man. 
Considered  from  a  merely  human  standpoint,  this 
substitution,  taking  place  as  it  actually  did,  under 
a  pressing,  urgent  necessity,  might  be  attributed  to 
mere  chance.  There  was,  however,  no  chance  here, 
for  when  rightly  viewed,  we  will  perceive  in  this 
choice,  the  accomplishment  of  an  eternal  design  of 
Providence  which  had  destined  St.  Francis  Xavier 
to  be  the  glorious  Apostle  of  the  Indies. 

Now,  as  no  great  work  was  ever  achieved  without 


188    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

its  attendant  difficulties,  we  need  not  be  surprised 
that  this  undertaking  was  to  prove  no  exception.  No 
sooner  had  Simon  Rodriguez  and  Francis  Xavier 
landed  in  Portugal  and  commenced  to  preach,  than 
they  began  to  reap  such  an  abundant  harvest  of 
conversions,  that  the  Portuguese  exerted  themselves 
to  their  utmost  to  retain  them  in  their  country.  In- 
deed so  pressing  were  their  demands  that  they  had 
succeeded  in  keeping  Simon  Rodriguez  who  remained 
at  Lisbon,  while  Francis  Xavier  continued  on  his 
journey.  Apparently,  this  mission  had  suffered  a 
check,  but  God's  designs  are  not  so  readily  frustrated. 
In  the  meantime,  Francis  Xavier  received  his  orders 
to  proceed  to  India,  where  he  was  destined  to  be  the 
instrument  of  Providence  in  the  saving  of  many  souls. 
Let  men  plan  whatever  projects  they  please,  and 
let  them  even  employ  all  the  means  at  their  com- 
mand to  achieve  their  success,  God  will  invariably 
make  them  subserve  his  own  wise  purposes,  and  draw 
therefrom  the  most  fruitful  results,  conducive  not 
alone  to  His  own  glory  but  also  to  our  salvation. 

St.  Ignatius  had  destined  Father  Natal  for  a  mis- 
sion, but  he  determined,  in  his  paternal  goodness,  to 
assure  himself  beforehand  whether  or  not  this  good 
Father  had  any  special  preferences.  When  consulted 
on  this  important  subject,  Father  Natal  answered  in 
writing  that  his  only  desire  was  to  have  no  desire. 
He  thereby  gives  us  a  touching  proof  of  that  self- 
sacrifice  which  St.  Ignatius  esteemed  among  the  most 
precious  qualities  a  true  religious  man  can  possess. 
For,  he  who  evinces  any  particular  affection  for 
an  object,  or  fosters  any  special  preferences,  seems  to 


FREQUENT  CHANGES  ARE  ANNOYING.  189 

subjugate  all  his  powers  to  the  service  of  a  single 
motive;  whereas,  he  whose  heart  has,  as  it  were, 
but  one  responsive  chord  which  always  gives  forth 
the  same  note  when  touched  by  the  bow  of  obedience, 
he  is  the  man  who  is  capable  of  every  kind  of  work. 
Now,  as  God  judges  our  motives  and  intentions,  and 
that  in  His  sight  to  will  is  to  act,  it  follows  that  such 
a  man  has,  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  the  merit  of 
all  those  works  as  though  he  had  achieved  them. 

Let  this  be  the  Christian  educator's  conduct 
through  life,  seeking  and  desiring  only  those  things 
the  Lord  wills.  If  he  accomplish  this,  an  unalterable 
peace  will  be  his  portion,  and  heaven's  abundant 
blessings  will  be  poured  down  upon  him  as  well  as 
upon  every  work  that  shall  be  entrusted  to  him. 

Terence  has  truthfully  said:  Since  we  can  not 
have  what  we  wish,  let  us  wish  for  what  we  can  have. 

For,  "it  is  a  very  great  thing,"  says  Thomas  a 
Kempis,  "to  stand  in  obedience,  to  live  under  a  super- 
ior, and  not  to  be  at  our  own  disposal. 

"It  is  much  more  secure  to  be  in  the  state  of  sub- 
jection than  in  authority. 

"Many  are  under  obedience  more  out  of  neces- 
sity than  for  the  love  of  God;  and  such  as  these 
are  in  pain,  and  easily  repine. 

"Nor  will  they  gain  freedom  of  mind,  unless  they 
submit  themselves  with  their  whole  heart  for  God's 
sake. 

"Run  here  or  there,  thou  wilt  find  no  rest  but  in 
an  humble  subjection  under  the  government  of  a  su- 
perior." (1> 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Chapter  IX. 


190    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHEE  ENCOURAGED. 


NINTH  OBJECTION. 

THE  TEACHER'S  LABORS  ARE  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED. 

"For  blessings  ever  wait  on  virtuous  deeds, 
And  though  a  late,  a  sure  reward  succeeds." — Congreve. 

This  is  another  one  of  those  objections  which 
springs  from  wounded  self-love.  It  has  its  source  in 
vanity  or  vainglory,  the  eldest  daughter  of  pride.  It 
is  an  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  lack  of  purity  of 
intention.  God  is  not  the  sole  object  of  our  labors, 
and  hence  we  trust  to  the  judgments  and  praises 
of  men,  and  look  to  them  for  approval.  We  seem  to 
forget  that  the  intention  is  the  face  of  the  soul, 
as  St.  Bernard  teaches,  and  that  a  different  inten- 
tion constitutes  a  different  fact.  And  according  to 
St.  Augustine,  a  work  is  excellent  when  the  intention 
of  the  workman  springs  from  the  love  of  God,  and 
returns  again  and  again  to  test  it  in  charity.  Now, 
the  Christian  teacher  who  is  discouraged,  because, 
forsooth,  men  do  not  appreciate  his  labors  accord- 
ing to  his  own  standard,  manifests  the  characteristics 
of  vanity  or  vainglory  which  renders  his  work  im- 
perfect, if  not  really  detrimental  to  himself  and  pu- 
pils. For  "that  is  vain,"  affirms  Bishop  Ullathorne, 
"which  is  vacant,  or  devoid  of  good,  or  which  is  un- 
stable, or  unreliable,  or  unsupporting,  or  which  has 
no  rational  object,  use,  motive,  or  end.  That  is  a 
vain  thing  that  fails  of  its  purpose,  or  that  will  not 
do  that  which  ought  to  be  done,  or  will  not  sup- 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     191 

port  what  has  need  of  support.    Vanity  is  labor  in 
vain,  and  labor  in  vain  is  labor  without  fruit." 

What  then  is  this  vainglory  which  enters  so  large- 
ly into  our  works?  It  is,  we  are  assured  by  a  Chris- 
tian philosopher,  an  inordinate  appetite  for  praise, 
fame,  and  glory.  These  are  the  puffings  of  an  inflated 
soul,  preferring  the  show  of  things  to  solid  good. 
Again,  "vainglory  is  the  appetite  or  love  of  making 
excellence  known,  that  it  may  be  seen,  admired, 
praised  by  men ;  whether  that  excellence  has  any  real 
foundation,  or  is  only  imaginary,  and  therefore 
false."  This  is  in  perfect  accord  with  St.  Bonaven- 
ture's  definition  of  vanity,  namely,  the  love  of  one's 
own  praise  on  account  of  apparent  excellency.  Bishop 
Ullathorne  also  observes  that  when  the  object  of 
vanity  is  to  exalt  one's  self  in  the  general  mind,  it 
is  fame;  when  admiration  is  sought  to  be  added  to 
praise,  it  is  glory.  He  looks  upon  vanity,  moreover, 
as  the  most  subtle,  elastic,  and  inventive  of  all  human 
passions.  Indeed,  nothing  is  left  undone  to  parade  its 
littleness  before  the  world.  "Nothing  is  so  ingenious 
as  vanity,"  says  Bishop  Spalding.  "It  will  find 
nourishment  where  common  sense  would  starve.  "(1) 
Those  who  are  governed  by  it,  usually  measure 
others  by  their  own  standard,  at  least,  so  thought 
Horace.  It  is  equally  singular  that  they  should  es- 
teem their  self-will  as  independence  of  character.  But 
when  we  judge  the  question  in  its  true  bearing,  it 
becomes  obvious  that  the  vainglorious  are  blinded 
by  their  own  conceit,  and  -consequently,  can  not  per- 
ceive that  they  are  undeniably  their  own  dupes.  Truly, 

(1)  Aphorisms  and  Reflections,  p.  71. 


192    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

there  is  a  great  deal  of  self-will  in  the  world, 
Father  Faber  tells  us  in  one  of  his  excellent  Con- 
ferences, but  very  little  genuine  independence  of 
character.  And  elsewhere  he  says  that  self-opinion- 
atedness  is  said  to  be  the  energy  of  dullness. 

Now,  if  our  work  be  one  of  excellence,  we  can 
not  hope  to  merit  the  appreciation  it  deserves  accord- 
ing to  any  worldly  standards.  But  our  frail  nature 
inclines  us  unhappily  to  what  flatters  or  tickles  our 
vanity,  and  hence  forgetting  the  supernal  we  stretch 
forward  to  snatch  that  which  is  purely  sensible.  The 
Christian  teacher  who  acts  thus,  will  ever  be  dis- 
heartened, for  man  is  fickle  and  inconstant.  Ho 
evinces  pusillanimity  of  character,  another  offshoot 
of  vanity.  He  lives  in  the  constant  fear  or  dread  of 
what  the  world  may  say.  And  here  we  would  remind 
him  of  the  poet's  opinion,  who  claims  that 

"He's    truly    valiant    that    can    wisely    suffer 
The  worst  that  men  can  breathe."  (1) 

Consequently,  the  Christian  teacher  lets  his  work 
speak,  without  putting  it  to  speak  for  its  author.  He 
will,  moreover,  judge  with  Terence  that  the  silence 
of  men  is  sufficient  praise.  Livy  also  rightly  says 
that  men  have  less  lively  perception  of  good  than 
of  evil.  Hence  it  is  absurd,  if  not  wholly  ridiculous, 
for  any  teacher  engaged  in  a  work  so  essentially  above 
the  natural  to  allow  himself  to  be  influenced  by  the 
breath  of  false  praise,  or  to  permit  his  vanity  to  be- 
come his  ruling  motive.-  It  is  folly  in  the  extreme. 

But,  how  may  we  detect  this  subtle  and  elastic 

(1)  Shakespeare,  Timon  of  Athens,  Act  III. 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     193 

passion  ?  We  will  answer  with  that  profound  thinker, 
Bishop  Ullathorne:  "  Vanity  may  be  known,  as  St. 
Thomas  points  out,  by  one  or  more  of  these  three 
conditions.  First,  when  a  man  vainly  glories  in  what 
is  either  wholly  or  partly  false,  as  when  he  claims 
for  himself  some  good,  or  gift,  or  ability,  that  he 
has  not;  or  some  virtue  that  he  does  not  possess, 
or  some  degree  of  excellence  in  these  things,  or  in 
learning,  skill,  or  accomplishment,  or  whatever  else 
it  may  be,  beyond  that  to  which  he  can  justly  lay 
claim.  Again,  if  he  glories  in  things  as  one's  own 
that  belong  to  another,  or  that  may  have  been  re- 
ceived from  another,  and  especially  if  one  puts  for- 
ward as  one's  own  what  has  been  received  from 
God.  To  such  St.  Paul  says:  What  hast  thou  that 
thou  hast  not  received,  and  if  thou  hast  received,  why 
doest  thou  glory,  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received.  (!) 
For  in  vanity  a  man  seeks  himself  in 
the  ever-shifting  and  uncertain  opinions  of  other  per- 
sons, and  is  always  flitting,  like  the  butterfly,  from 
flower  to  flower,  from  one  to  another  taking  its  color, 
like  a  chameleon,  from  what  is  nearest  at  the  time. 
It  is  the  ever-changing  character  of  vanity,  always 
under  the  influence  of  other  person's  opinions,  and 
ever  casting  about  for  flattery,  that  so  much 
weakens  the  prudence  and  judgment  of  the 
vain.  It  may  be  taken  as  a  maxim  that 
where  sound  judgment  and  habitual  tact  is  required, 
it  should  never  be  looked  for  where  vanity  is  the 
predominant  weakness."  (%) 

(1)  I.  Cor.,  iv,  7. 

(2)  The  Groundioork  of  the  Christian  Virtues,  Lecture  XIII., 
pp.  322,  327. 

13 


194    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

St.  Basil,  the  great  teacher  of  monasticism,  has 
some  excellent  observations  on  the  subtle  character  of 
vanity,  and  hence  we  deem  his  words  most  oppor- 
tune here.  "Vainglory  mingles  its  poison  with 
honey,"  he  justly  observes,  (1)  "and  hands  the  fraud- 
ful  cup  to  the  minds  of  men,  that  they  may  be  filled 
with  the  vicious  draught.  For  human  praise  is  sweet 
to  the  inexperienced.  When  subject  to  vanity,  they 
think  that  nothing  can  take  them  from  sound  judg- 
ment into  error;  yet  their  thoughts  and  judgments 
are  so  utterly  perverted,  that  whatever  the  mul- 
titude admire  they  take  to  be  most  excellent.  .  .  . 
.  .  If  they  have  little  souls,  or  rash  minds,  they 
will  be  ready  to  accept  anything  whatever  their  wise 
judges  of  conduct  think  best,  however  evil  it  may 
be,  and  will  be  eager  to  do  what  may  win  their 
praises.  This  vanity  not  only  destroys  good  but  leads 

to  evil If  some  should  praise  us  on  the 

way,  we  need  not  take  much  notice  of  their  praise, 
except  to  congratulate  their  sound  judgment.  But 
keep  straight  on  with  eyes  raised  to  God,  whose  praise 
is  always  just.  If  others  should  dispraise  this  way, 
that  is  no  reason  for  us  to  turn  back,  but  a  rea- 
son rather  for  compassionating  their  want  of  judg- 
ment and  their  mental  darkness." 

Moreover,  the  Christian  teacher  should  not  neglect 
the  warning  of  Christ,  who  admonishes  him  thus: 
Take  heed  that  you  do  not  your  justice  before  men, 
that  you  may  be  seen  by  men,  otherwise  you  shall  not 
have  a  reward  from  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 
For  blessed  indeed  are  they  who  consume  themselves 

(1)  Constitutiones  Monastics. 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     195 

in  the  service  of  God,  without  being  esteemed  or 
praised  by  men.  Besides,  we  have  the  example  of 
Jesus  Christ,  our  glorious  Model,  who  sacrificed  Him- 
self for  us,  His  only  desire  being  our  salvation,  and 
the  glory  of  His  heavenly  Father.  It  should  be  our 
sole  aim  to  love  Him  with  a  like  love,  and  devote 
ourselves  to  His  interests  without  seeking  to  flatter 
our  vanity  or  vainglory. 

For,  "if  in  all  things  thou  seek  Jesus,"  writes 
Thomas  a  Kempis,  "doubtless  thou  wilt  find  Jesus. 
But  if  thou  seek  thyself,  thou  wilt  find  thyself,  but 
to  thine  own  ruin.  For  a  man  does  himself  more 
harm  if  he  seek  not  Jesus,  than  the  whole  world 
and  all  his  enemies  would  be  able  to  do  him."  (!) 

Therefore,  "shun  this  dangerous  esteem  of  the 
judgment  of  men,"  counsels  Father  Bellecius,  (2) 
"since  it  is  the  origin  of  the  greater  number  of  our 
afflictions.  When  we  weary  of  our  employment, 
grieve  at  having  some  charge  imposed  upon  us,  or 
complain  of  an  insult  or  want  of  kindness  or  appre- 
ciation, we  will  find  that  the  real  secret  of  our  cha- 
grin and  anxiety  is  the  effect  it  may  produce  on 
the  minds  of  others  concerning  us. ' ' 

The  surest  remedy  as  well  as  the  most  effectual 
is  to  enter  into  ourselves  and  scrutinize  our  motives 
in  earnest  meditation  before  God.  Then  will  that 
happy  change  be  also  effected  in  us,  of  which  St. 
John  Climachus  speaks  having  taken  place  in  souls 
who  retired  from  the  world  and  gave  themselves 
up  to  the  contemplation  of  the  eternal  truths.  "I 
have  seen,"  he  pertinently  writes,  (3)  "many  and 

(1)  Bk.  II.,  c.  vii,  S. 

(2)  Solid  Virtue.     (3)  Scala  Paradisi. 


196    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

various  germs  of  virtues  planted  by  those  who  live 
in  the  world,  watered  with  vainglory  as  if  from  the 
pollution  of  a  sewer,  dug  around  by  ostentation,  and 
manured  with  human  praise,  which,  when  they  were 
afterward  transferred  to  the  desert,  where  they  were 
no  longer  seen  by  men  of  the  world  nor  nourished 
with  the  miry  waters  of  vainglory,  have  all  sudden- 
ly dried  up  and  withered  away." 

Thus  we  see  it  is  foolish  to  place  one's  recompense 
in  the  esteem  of  superiors,  or  in  human  advantages, 
or  in  positions,  honors,  or  the  like,  because  it  puts 
a  low  estimate  on  our  toils  and  labors.  But  the  humble 
Christian  teacher  who  is  animated  by  a  spirit  of  faith, 
does  all  the  good  he  can  possibly  accomplish  without 
seeking  his  reward  in  the  praises  of  men.  And  when 
such  a  teacher  has  done  all  that  was  commanded,  he 
will  still  look  upon  himself  as  a  useless  and  unprofit- 
able servant,  fearing  that  his  services  were  over- 
rated rather  than  not  justly  appreciated.  His  motto 
is  in  the  words  of  Thomas  a  Kempis:  Love  to  be 
unknown  and  esteemed  as  nothing.  (V 


I. 

AN  ILLUSTRATION  OP  ABNEGATION  AND  LOVE  OF  OBEDI- 
ENCE. 

Seven  years  had  already  elapsed  since  Father  An- 
chieta,  the  Jesuit,  governed  the  Province  of  Brazil, 
amid  harassing  difficulties  and  incredible  labors  and 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  c.  II.,  S. 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     197 

fatigue.  Hence,  being  no  longer  able  to  support  so 
weighty  a  burden,  and  having  become  incapacitated  on 
account  of  his  daily  increasing  infirmities,  he  earnest- 
ly besought  his  superiors  to  relieve  him  from  his  oner- 
ous responsibility.  His  humility,  moreover,  caused  him 
to  consider  himself  as  wholly  incompetent  for  such 
an  exalted  position.  The  superiors  honored  his  pe- 
tition and,  accordingly,  appointed  Father  Martial,  a 
man  of  great  virtue  and  eminent  talent,  as  his  suc- 
cessor. The  humility  of  the  servant  of  God  was  at 
last  satisfied,  for  he  could  now  obey  and  allow  himself 
to  be  guided  in  all  things  like  a  child.  Now,  it  is  a 
well-established  fact,  that  men  of  eminent  virtue  and 
holiness  view  the  state  of  obedience  as  one  of  tran- 
quillity and  happiness.  Indeed  the  more  capable  they 
are  to  guide  themselves  and  others,  the  greater  ap- 
pears to  them  the  need  of  being  personally  directed 
and  enlightened.  And,  hardly  had  Father  Anchieta 
been  removed  •  from  office,  than  he  went,  with  the 
fervor  and  submission  of  a  novice,  to  the  new  Provin- 
cial, and  placed  himself  unreservedly  at  his  disposal. 

In  consideration  of  his  merit  and  his  many  in- 
firmities, the  provincial  left  him  free  to  choose  the 
house  in  whch  he  would  prefer  to  live.  But  this  privi- 
lege seemed  to  worry  the  good  Father  considerably, 
and  he  looked  upon  it  as  though  some  wrong  had 
been  perpetrated  upon  him. 

When  writing  to  his  friend,  Father  Ignatius  of 
Tolosa,  he  said  to  him:  "The  Father  Provincial  has 
left  me  the  choice  of  my  residence  in  the  province. 
But,  I  can  truly  assure  you,  that  this  liberty  is  by 
no  means  pleasing  to  me ;  for  as  you'  are  well  aware, 


198    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

men  are  bad  judges  of  that  which  is  for  their  own 
good.  Now,  after  having  placed  myself  in  the  hands 
of  obedience  for  so  many  years,  would  it  not  be  an 
outrageous  error  on  my  part,  to  commence  exercis- 
ing my  own  will,  particularly  at  my  advanced  age 
and  when  my  earthly  course  is  nearly  run?" 


II. 

DIVINE  WISDOM  AND  HUMAN  WISDOM. 

"There  is  a  folly,"  writes  Father  Lallemant,  (1) 
"which  is,  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  true  wisdom. 
For  to  love  poverty,  humiliations,  trials,  and  perse- 
cutions, is  to  be  a  fool  in  the  estimation  of  the  world. 
Nevertheless,  the  wisdom  which  is  a  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  consists  precisely  in  this  folly,  and  is  in  reality 
that  which  was  practised  by  our  Lord  and  His  saints. 
Now,  all  that  Jesus  Christ  had  honored  and  sancti- 
fied by  contact  with  His  Divine  Person  during  His 
mortal  life,  as  poverty,  abjection,  suffering,  and  the 
Cross,  was  impregnated  with  a  sweet  odor  and  de- 
licious savor.  There  are,  however,  few  souls  who  are 
sufficiently  enlightened  to  detect  this  odor  and  savor, 
because  these  are  altogether  supernatural.  The  saints 
have,  nevertheless,  searched  for  and  sought  after  the 
odor  of  these  perfumes,  like  a  St.  Ignatius  who  was 
delighted  in  being  mocked ;  or  a  St.  Francis  of  Assisi 
who  passionately  loved  abjection  and  performed 
actions  to  draw  ridicule  upon  himself ;  or  a  St.  Dom- 

(1)  P.  Lallemant,  S.  J.,  Doctrine  Spirituelle. 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     199 

inic  who  experienced  greater  pleasure  in  living  at 
Carcasonne,  where  he  was  ordinarily  ill-treated,  than 
at  Toulouse,  where  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
and  honor. 

"What  desires  had  our  Lord,  or  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin, or  the  Apostles  for  the  vain  honors  of  the  world 
or  pleasures  of  life?  My  meat,  said  Jesus,  is  to  do 
the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me.  (!)  The  Apostles  left 
the  Council  rejoicing  that  they  had  been  deemed 
worthy  to  suffer  for  Christ's  sake.  St.  Paul  affirms 
that  he  was  inundated  with  joy  in  the  midst  of  his 
sufferings. 

"To  say  that  our  Lord  could  have  redeemed  us 
without  suffering,  or  could  have  merited  for  us  what 
He  did  without  dying  the  infamous  death  of  the  Cross, 
and  that  He  chose  nevertheless  to  die  the  cruel  death 
for  our  salvation,  is  indeed  folly  according  to  human 
judgment.  But  what  seemed  folly  in  Jesus  Christ,  is 
unquestionably  wiser  than  the  wisdom  of  all  man- 
kind. 

"How  different  are  God's  judgments  from  ours! 
Divine  wisdom  is  accounted  as  folly  by  man,  and  hu- 
man wisdom  is  but  folly  in  the  sight  of  God.  It  is 
essential  for  us,  therefore,  to  determine  to  which 
of  the  two  judgments  we  shall  conform  our  conduct. 
We  must  abide  by  either  the  one  or  the  other  in  all 
our  actions. 

"If  we  take  delight  in  praise  and  honor,  then 
we  are  simply  fools.  For  in  proportion  as  we  take 
pleasure  in  being  esteemed  and  flattered,  so 
in  the  same  proportion  do  we  find  the  measure 

(1)  St.  John,  iv,  SJf. 


200    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

of  our  folly;  whereas,  on  the  contrary,  pro- 
portionately, as  we  love  humiliation  and  the  folly 
of  the  Cross,  so  likewise  do  we  evince  true  wisdom." 

And  Father  Surin  justly  observes:  "Is  it  not  an 
evidence  of  marked  stupidity  to  be  affected  sensibly 
by  nothing?  Blessed  are  they  who  have  so  attained 
to  that  perfection  as  to  remain  insensible  to  every- 
thing, save  what  pertains  to  God 's  interests !  0  happy 
stupidity !  For  a  soul  once  consecrated  to  God  should 
blush  to  love  or  desire  aught  else  than  His  glory!" 


III. 

HUMBLE  DISPOSITION  OF  FATHER  HUBY. 

Father  Huby,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  was  one 
of ,  the  most  distinguished  preachers  of  his  time.  His 
sanctity  was  equal  to  his  talents  and  ability,  and 
wherever  he  preached,  his  sermons  produced  abun- 
dant fruits  of  salvation.  But  his  most  eminent  vir- 
tues were  abnegation  and  humility.  The  following 
thought  is  an  evidence  of  this  affirmation :  ' '  Let  each 
one  ask  of  Thee,  0  Jesus,  that  which  is  most  pleasing 
to  him ;  but  for  me,  I  beg  of  Thee  my  entire  annihila- 
tion! May  my  portion  be  to  honor  Thy  Divine  hu- 
miliations by  mine !  I  will  give  way  in  everything  and 
to  all.  I  shall  be  content  to  be  worsted  in  every 
argument,  and  shall  take  pleasure  in  seeing  the  views 
and  plans  of  others  preferred  to  mine.  To  do  as 
much  good  as  I  possibly  can  and  to  appear  as  little 
as  possible;  to  rejoice  in  being  esteemed  as  a  man 


TEACHER  *S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.      201 

possessing  neither  wisdom,  nor  talents,  nor  power; 
to  have  effectively  neither  reputation  nor  authority; 
to  love  dependence;  to  be,  indeed,  so  alone  that  I  be 
not  myself,  but  that  God  alone  be  with  me;  such  is 
the  life  and  death  God  demands  of  me. 

"To  appear  on  occasions  of  confusion,  and  to 
remain  hidden  when  the  opportunity  comes  to  shine; 
that  I  may  never  avoid  the  former,  but  ever  seek 
the  latter,  such  do  I  desire  to  be  my  constant  prac- 
tice. 

' '  Who  and  what  am  I  ?  The  last  and  most  miser- 
able of  men.  Thus  filled  with  contempt  for  self  and 
esteem  for  others,  I  shall  act  towards  all  with  sin- 
cere cordiality  and  will  show  an  equal  charity  toward 
all." 


IV. 


A    CHRISTIAN   TEACHER   SHOULD    SACRIFICE    HIS    HONOR. 

During  the  retreat  at  which  Commandant  Mar- 
ceau  assisted,  the  Reverend  Father  who  gave  out  the 
subjects  for  meditation,  related  on  one  occasion  that 
a  Redemptorist  had  manifested  an  unwillingness  to 
obey,  alleging  in  excuse :  And  my  honor?  The  query 
so  aroused  St.  Liguori's  indignation  that  he  could 
only  repeat  for  several  days  the  words:  And  my 
Honor  f  The  preacher,  in  addressing  his  brethren, 
added  on  this  particular  day:  We  have  no  honor. 

These  words  produced  an  extraordinary  effect 
on  Marceau  who  had,  since  his  consecration  to  God's 


202    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED 

Service,  striven  earnestly  to  crush  self-love  and  to 
stifle  in  his  heart  that  inordinate  love  of  glory,  which 
had  been  his  cherished  idols  prior  to  his  conver- 
sion. He  frequently  recalled  this  circumstance  of 
the  retreat,  and  more  than  once  in  his  confidential 
conversations,  when  self-love  would  seek  to  gain  as- 
cendancy, he  would  smilingly  repeat:  And  my  honor f 


V. 

CURE  D'ARS  ON  SELF-DENIAL  AND  SUFFERING. 

M.  Vianney,  like  all  the  saints,  was  convinced  that 
detachment  is  the  only  treasure  of  the  heart;  that 
to  sacrifice  is  not  to  destroy,  but  to  give  life  and 
liberty  to  the  soul,  by  freeing  it  from  the  chains  of 
finite  things.  Therefore,  he  always  insisted  much  on 
death  to  self-love,  and  renunciation  of  our  will. 

"Our  will,"  he  said,  "is  the  only  thing  that  we 
have  of  our  own,  and  we  can  make  an  offering  of  it 
to  the  good  God.  Therefore,  we  are  assured  that  a 
single  act  of  renunciation  of  our  will  is  more  pleasing 
to  Him  than  a  fast  of  thirty  days. 

"Every  time  that  we  can  submit  our  own  will 
to  that  of  others,  provided  it  be  not  against  the 
law  of  God,  we  acquire  great  merits,  which  are  known 
to  God  alone.  What  is  it  that  makes  the  religious 
life  so  meritorious?  It  is  the  renunciation  of  the 
will  at  every  moment ;  the  continual  death  to  all  that 
has  most  life  in  us.  Do  you  know,  I  have  often 
thought  that  the  life  of  a  poor  servant-girl,  who 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     203 

has  no  will  but  that  of  her  mistress,  if  she  knows  how 
to  profit  by  this  submission,  may  be  as  pleasing  to 
God  as  that  of  a  religious  who  is  always  following 
his  rule. 

"I  have  known  some  beautiful  souls  in  the  world 
who  had  no  will  of  their  own,  and  who  were  quite 
dead  to  themselves.  That  is  what  the  saints  do. 
Look  at  good  little  St.  Maurus,  who  had  such  power 
with  God,  and  was  so  dear  to  his  superior  on  account 
of  his  simplicity  and  obedience.  The  other  religious 
were  jealous  of  him,  and  the  superior  said  to  them: 
I  will  show  you  why  I  esteem  that  dear  little  brother 
so  highly.  He  made  the  tour  of  the  cells;  they  all 
had  something  to  finish  before  they  opened  their 
doors.  St.  Maurus  alone,  who  was  copying  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  instantly  left  his  work  to  answer  the  call 
of  St.  Benedict. 

"It  is  only  the  first  step  that  is  difficult  in  this 
way  of  abnegation.  When  once  it  is  entered  upon, 
we  go  straight  forward;  and  when  we  have  acquired 
this  virtue,  we  have  everything. ' ' 

Speaking  of  the  Cross,  he  said  that  it  is  dis- 
stilled  balm  and  exhaled  sweetness;  that  the  closer 
we  embrace  it  and  press  it  to  our  hearts,  the  more 
we  make  it  give  out  the  unction  of  which  it  is  full; 
that  it  is  the  most  learned  book  that  can  be  read; 
that  those  who  do  not  know  this  book  are  ignorant, 
even  if  they  are  acquainted  with  every  other;  that 
they  alone  are  wise  who  love  it,  consult  it,  fathom  it ; 
that  it  is  a  school  where  all  knowledge  is  to  be  found 
without  weariness,  and  every  sweetness  without  sa- 
tiety. 


204    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"A  house  founded  on  the  Cross,"  he  said,  "will 
fear  neither  wind,  nor  rain,  nor  storm.  Trials  show 
clearly  how  pleasing  a  work  is  to  God."  (*•> 

Thus,  Christian  teachers,  will  we  find  our  joy 
and  peace  in  the  Cross,  and  the  greater  our  love  for 
it,  the  less  will  we  long  after  the  applause  or  appre- 
ciation of  men. 


VI. 

WHEN  LABORING  FOR  GOJ>,  CONTENTMENT  FOLLOWS. 

"If  thou  hadst  a  right  spirit  within  thee,"  says 
Thomas  a  Kempis,  W  ' '  and  wert  purified  from  earth- 
ly affections,  all  things  would  turn  to  thy  good  and 
to  thy  profit.  For  this  reason  do  many  things  dis- 
please thee,  and  often  trouble  thee  because  thou  art 
not  as  yet  perfectly  dead  to  thyself,  nor  separated 
from  all  earthly  things." 

St.  Francis  Xavier  passed  his  life,  now  on  sea, 
and  now  on  land,  and  most  frequently  among  bar- 
barous peoples.  Now,  what  possible  tranquillity  could 
we  have  had,  or  what  untold  annoyance  would  he  not 
have  experienced,  were  he  to  have  sought  his  own 
interest  and  striven  solely  for  empty  honors  or  the 
conveniences  of  life  ?  But  as  he  sought  God  only,  he 
found  Him  everywhere.  Those  who  seek  to  do  their 
will  and  who  aim  to  please  self  only,  are  incapable 
of  that  happiness  which  can  find  a  pleasure  in  every- 
thing. It  happens  not  infrequently  that  we  experi- 

(1)  L'Abbe  Monnin,  Vie  du  Cure  d'Ars. 

(2)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  II.,  Ch.  I,  8. 


TEACHER  *S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.      205 

ence,  owing  to  our  lack  of  scrutinizing  our  motive, 
a  great  repugnance  to  certain  employments  or  duties, 
without  being  able  to  account  for  our  dislike,  for 
nature  hides  or  disguises  itself.  Hence,  to  dispense 
ourselves  from  these  duties  we  bring  forward  ex- 
cuses which  are  nothing  but  vain  pretexts,  for  the 
real  cause  is  to  be  found  in  our  self-love.  Let  us 
fathom  the  depth  of  our  heart  and  we  will  there 
discover  what  it  is  that  hinders  us.  We  will  undoubt- 
edly realize  that  it  is  either  the  fear  we  apprehend 
that  in  such  a  position  we  will  not  be  content,  or 
that  we  will  perhaps  not  receive  sufficient  honors, 
or  that  our  selfish  interest  claims  and  rivets  our 
attention  elsewhere.  We  are  well  off  everywhere, 
said  Father  Surin,  provided  we  seek  not  self;  we  need 
fear  nothing  or  desire  nothing,  when  we  relish  God 
and  the  things  of  God. 

"How  happy  and  prudent  is  he  who  strives  to  be 
such  now  in  this  life,  as  he  desires  to  be  found  at  his 
death ! 

"For  it  will  give  a  man  a  great  confidence  of  dying 
happily,  if  he  has  a  perfect  contempt  of  the  world, 
a  fervent  desire  of  advancing  in  virtue,  a  -love  for 
discipline,  the  spirit  of  penance,  a  ready  obedience, 
self-denial,  and  patience  in  bearing  all  adversities 
for  the  love  of  Christ."  (1) 


Mother  Anne  de  Beaumont,  Superior  of  the  first 
convent  of  the  Visitation  in  Paris,  although  almost 
without  money  or  any  other  material  resources,  suc- 

(1)    The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  ch.  XXIII,  If 


206    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

ceeded  also  in  founding  the  second,  placing  her  sole 
trust  in  God.  Her  success,  however,  rendered  her 
the  subject  of  some  bitter  attacks.  The  approval 
which  she  received  from  persons  of  distinction  and 
high  rank,  and  especially  the  marked  affection  of  the 
two  queens,  Mary  of  Medici  and  Anne  of  Austria,  who 
often  spent  whole  hours  in  her  company,  either  in 
the  parlors  or  in  her  own  room,  gave  rise  to  a  burn- 
ing jealousy.  Indeed,  the  storm  became  so  threaten- 
ing at  times  that  it  seemed  to  involve  the  ruin  of  the 
convent. 

St.  Prances  de  Chantal  who  happened  to  be  at 
Orleans,  hastened  to  Paris.  It  was  hoped  that  the 
presence  of  the  holy  Foundress  might  allay  the  storm 
and  restore  peace  and  tranquillity.  But  the  hope 
was  not  realized.  Perceiving  that  she  could  not  ap- 
pease the  opposition,  the  great  servant  of  God,  who 
possessed  the  excellent  quality  of  firmness  and  ex- 
ercised it  when  occasion  demanded,  deemed  the  re- 
moval of  Mother  de  Beaumont  an  imperative  need. 
Accordingly,  Mother  de  Chantal  commanded  her  to 
leave  Paris  at  once  and  proceed  to  Annecy. 

Under  these  trying  circumstances,  Mother  de  Beau- 
mont's virtue  admirably  stood  the  test.  She  made 
her  immediate  preparations,  and  endeavored  to  con- 
sole the  Sisters  who  were  all  in  tears,  and  thanked 
Anne  of  Austria  so  humbly  and  so  generously  for  the 
effort  she  had  made  to  retain  her  in  Paris,  that  this 
great  Queen  on  leaving  the  parlor  was  forced  to 
exclaim  that  she  was  after  speaking  to  a  saint. 

Amid  these  charming  acts  of  firmness  and  obedi- 
ence, one  word  escaped  Mother  de  Beaumont  which 


TEACHER'S  LABORS  NOT  RIGHTLY  APPRECIATED.     207 

revealed  her  great  delicacy  of  conscience.  Whilst 
she  strove  to  console  one  of  the  Sisters,  she  inad- 
vertently remarked  that  she  had  been  the  victim 
of  jealousy.  She  was  so  troubled  thereat,  that  she 
immediately  sent  for  her  confessor  who  was  no  other 
than  St.  Vincent  de  Paul.  This  great  master  in  the 
difficult  art  of  guiding  souls,  told  her  that  God  had 
permitted  her  to  commit  this  fault,  that  she  might 
crush  the  secret  pride  which  she  might  have  perhaps 
experienced  on  account  of  her  firmness  and  obedi- 
ence. <*•> 

Mother  de  Beaumont  asked  for  and  obtained  per- 
mission to  follow  the  exercises  of  the  novitiate.  While 
there  she  edified  all  by  her  touching  humility  and  un- 
ostentatious piety. 

Thus  it  is  that  souls  act  who  labor  for  God  only, 
without  being  occupied  with  their  personal  interests. 


Souls,  souls,  O  give  me  souls!  exclaimed  a  great 
servant  of  God;  I  despise  all  else. 

You  must  be  ready,  said  Louis  of  Blois,  to  sacri- 
fice everything  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

Should  our  Lord  ask  me,  said  St.  Mary  Magda- 
lene de  Pazzi,  as  he  did  St.  Thomas:  What  recom- 
pense shall  I  give  you  for  all  you  have  written  of 
Me?  I  would  ^answer:  The  salvation  of  souls. 

Our  Lord  appeared  one  day  to  St.  John  of  the 
Cross,  and  said  to  him:  "John,  what  reward  shall 
I  give  you  for  all  your  labors?"  "Lord,"  rejoined  the 


(1)  M.  I'Abbg  Bougaud,  Vie  de  sainte  Chantal. 


208    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Saint,  "nothing  else  in  this  life,  save  that  I  may  be 
despised  and  be  allowed  to  suffer  always  more  for  love 
of  Thee." 

To  go  to  Madagascar,  to  labor,  to  suffer  and  die 
poor  and  unknown,  without  even  seeing  the  fruit  of 
my  labors,  wrote  Clement  Cathary.  This  is  the  dream 
of  my  life. 

0  Christian  teachers!  will  we  still  persist  in 
claiming  that  our  labors  are  not  rightly  appreciated? 
Think  often  on  this  saying  of  Ovid:  The  prickly 
thorn  often  bears  soft  roses. 

"We  should  be  perfectly  convinced  with  Thomas 
a  Kempis  that  "unless  I  put  myself  in  this  disposi- 
tion, to  be  willing  to  be  despised  and  forsaken  by  all 
creatures,  and  to  ~be  esteemed  as  nothing  at  all,  I  can 
not  arrive  at  inward  peace  and  strength,  nor  be 
spiritually  enlightened,  nor  fully  united  to  Christ.  "(1> 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  111.,  Chapter  XL/. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  209 


TENTH  OBJECTION. 

BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED  IN  A  MORE  ADVANCED  CLASS. 

"The  man  who  seeks  one  thing  in  life,   and  but  one, 
May  hope  to  achieve  it  before  life  be  done ; 
But  he  who  seeks  all  things,  wherever  he  goes. 
Only  reaps  from  the  hopes  which  around  him  sows, 
A   harvest   of   barren   regrets." — Owen  Meredith. 

As  nothing  in  human  nature  is  so  sensitive  as 
vanity,  observes  Bishop  Ullathorne,  there  is  nothing 
that  suffers  more.  It  is  easily  wounded,  often  morti- 
fied, and  frequently  disappointed.  Consequently, 
this  objection,  like  the  foregoing,  springs  from  vanity. 
It  is  ambition  that  prompts  us  to  seek  a  higher  posi- 
tion, where  we  may  shine  before  the  world.  Ambition 
has  its  root  in  vanity,  which  shows  itself  in  presump- 
tion ;  and  this  is,  as  a  serious  writer  asserts,  an  excess 
arising  from  over-estimating  our  own  powers,  and  from 
attempting,  in  a  conceited  spirit,  things  that  are  above 
and  beyond  us,  because  God  has  not  called  us  to 
them,  nor  given  us  light  and  strength  for  them.  We 
may  define  ambition  as  an  inordinate  appetite  for 
exercising  power  over  others  and  for  being  honored 
by  them.  Now,  this  is  precisely  what  the  Christian 
teacher  does  when  he  claims  that  he  can  accomplish 
a  greater  good  in  a  more  advanced  class.  Most  peo- 
ple would  succeed  in  small  things,  affirms  Longfel- 
low, (1)  if  they  were  not  troubled  with  greater  am- 
bitions. Hence,  Carlyle  assures  us  that  no  man  is 

(1)  Drift-Wood. 

14 


210    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED 

born  without  ambitious  worldly  desires.  (1)  Cicero 
also  held  that  the  noblest  spirit  is  most  strongly 
attracted  by  the  love  of  glory.  But  the  Christian 
teacher  who  has  noble  aspirations  founded  on  faith 
and  humility,  will  not  allow  himself  to  be  influenced 
by  a  motive  which  is  based  upon  human  judgments 
and  glory.  Indeed  "to  suffer  the  soul  to  be  touched 
or  influenced  by  the  vain  opinions  of  the  world,  is  to 
expose  her  to  deterioration." 

There  is,  however,  an  ambition  which  every  teacher 
should  possess,  and  that  is  to  do  what  his  talents 
and  ability  can  achieve  within  the  sphere  which  obedi- 
ence has  assigned  him.  Then  "the  magnanimous 
character  of  humility  is  shown  in  the  fortitude  with 
which  we  persevere  in  holding  ourselves  down  to  that 
just  and  true  position  which  belongs  to  us,"  says 
Ullathorne,  "never  advancing  until  God  advances  us, 
and  that  in  spite  and  contempt  of  every  natural  im- 
pulse to  false  elation,  or  the  assumption  of  place  or 
character  that  does  not  belong  to  us."  (2)  How  is  this 
false  elation  or  assumption  brought  about  ?  Through 
self-love.  Now,  "this  same  self-love  leads  us  to  do 
certain  things,"  wrote  St.  Francis  de  Sales  to  a  re- 
ligious, "because  we  choose  them  for  ourselves,  al- 
though we  would  not  do  them  at  another's  bidding,  or 
from  mere  obedience.  If  things  are  of  our  own  origi- 
nating we  like  them,  but  not  when  they  come  through 
other  people.  Self  is  ever  seeking  self,  self-will  and 
self-love;  but  if  we  were  perfect  in  the  love  of  God, 
we  should  prefer  to  obey,  because  in  obedience  there 


(1)  Essays,  Scniller. 

(2)  The  Groundwork  of  the  Christian  Virtues. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  211 

is  more  of  God  and  less  of  self."  (1)  Our  nature 
inclines  us  to  despise  our  lowly  beginnings,  once  we 
have  reached  ambition's  heights.  This  conduct  in 
life  belongs  to  a  worldly  career,  but  it  is  unworthy  in 
a  Christian  teacher.  For  having  chosen  God  for  his 
Master,  he  should  expect  his  reward  from  Him.  What 
matters  it  to  him  whether  or  not  his  talents  or  ability 
are  recognized!  But  it  is  of  paramount  importance 
that  he  fulfill  his  duties  whatever  may  be  his  em- 
ployment. For  it  is  an  act  of  sublime  virtue  and 
perfection  to  accept  with  a  joyful  heart  and  for  the 
love  of  God,  the  most  obscure  employment,  provided 
it  be  assigned  by  obedience.  Our  vanity  and  am- 
bition would  prompt  us  to  seek  the  most  honorable 
places,  and  hence  we  ought  to  take  heed  of  St.  Paul's 
admonition:  //  any  man  think  himself  to  be  some- 
thing whereas  he  is  nothing,  he  deceiveth  himself.  <2) 
Though 

"Talents  angel-bright, 

If   wanting   worth,    are    shining    instruments 
In  false  ambition's  hand,  to  finish  faults 
Illustrious,  and  give  infamy  renown."  (3) 

Thus,  it  is  obvious  that  talents  and  ability  are  ex- 
cellent, aye,  even  necessary  to  the  Christian  teacher, 
but  moral  excellency  ought  to  predominate,  if  he 
wish  to  do  effective  work.  As  the  superiors  are  usual- 
ly men  of  much  experience  and  students  of  human  na- 
ture, they  always  make  it  one  of  their  principal 
studies  to  fit  the  right  man  to  the  right  place.  Now, 
if  we  think  that  they  may  possibly  have  overlooked 
our  special  aptitudes  for  the  higher  branches  or  the 

(1)  Letters.     (2)  Qalat.,  vi,  S.     (3)  Young,  Night  Thoughts. 


212    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

more  advanced  classes,  we  can  and  ought  to  remind 
them  of  it,  and  then  allow  them  perfect  liberty  to 
act  as  they  deem  proper.  And,  should  it  happen  that 
we  are  still  left  in  our  lowly  position,  we  should  be 
resigned,  being  assured  that  we  are  where  we  should 
be  according  to  the  order  of  God's  Providence.  To 
act  thus  would  not  be  in  violation  of  any  principle  of 
Christian  perfection. 

Again,  the  condition  of  a  class  may  be  such  as 
to  require  our  special  services,  because  we  possess 
those  moral  qualities  and  that  tact  to  effect  the  re- 
generation that  is  needed,  or  else  to  give  that  stimu- 
lus to  virtue,  or  perhaps  even  to  advance  the  class 
intellectually.  It  is  one  of  our  failings  to  imagine 
that  the  greatest  good  can  be  achieved  only  in  ex- 
alted positions  or  advanced  classes.  This  is  an  error, 
particularly  on  the  part  of  young  teachers.  Natur- 
ally, after  having  completed  a  brilliant  course  and 
being  possessed  also  of  natural  gifts,  they  are  ambi- 
tious that  their  light  shine  before  the  world.  Now, 
unless  we  are  thoroughly  grounded  in  humility  or  in 
that  magnanimous  character  of  humility,  as  Ulla- 
thorne  happily  expresses  it,  we  are  very  apt  to  allow 
ambition  to  prompt  us  and  give  us  an  exalted  view 
of  our  ability.  Shapespeare  correctly  affirms:  "I 
hold  ambition  of  so  airy  and  light  a  quality,  that  it 
is  but  a  shadow's  shadow."  (!) 

If  we  are  possessed  of  such  talents  as  our  vain- 
glory will  insist  on  making  us  believe,  then  let  us 
remember  that  the  most  skillful  teacher  should  be 
entrusted  with  the  education  of  children  in  the  lower 


(1)  Hamlet,  Act  II.,  Sc.  ii. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  213 

grades.  For,  it  is  obvious  that  being  master  of  the 
subject-matter,  he  is  best  qualified  to  impart  the  rudi- 
ments of  knowledge  and  direct  the  youthful  mind  in 
its  perfect  development.  The  skillful  gardener  does 
not  allow  the  apprentice  to  handle  young  plants  or 
to  graft,  because  he  is  perfectly  well  aware  that 
his  own  skill  and  knowledge  as  well  as  experience 
are  requisite  in  aiding  the  tender  plant  or  bud  in 
its  growth,  and  only  when  the  young  plant  has  passed 
certain  stages  of  its  development  does  he  entrust  its 
care  to  less  practiced  hands.  Thus  it  is  with  the 
intellect  and  character  of  children.  A  teacher  pos- 
sessed of  but  little  experience  may  be  a  success  in  an 
advanced  class,  because  the  young  minds  have  at- 
tained to  a  certain  degree  of  development,  whereas 
the  same  teacher  would  be  a  complete  failure  in  a 
primary  class.  From  this  we  may  infer  the  reason 
for  retaining  us  in  classes  where  there  is  less  oppor- 
tunity for  displaying  our  talents,  but  where  greater 
tact  and  ability  are  essential. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  men  of  unquestionable 
ability  often  prefer  to  remain  with  beginners  than 
to  undertake  the  instruction  of  the  more  advanced. 
Since  this  is  true,  we  ought  to  consider  it  an  honor 
to  be  placed  in  the  category  with  such  men  and 
to  be  privileged  to  teach  the  lower  grades.  Experi- 
ence has  afforded  many  striking  examples  of  this 
truth  in  pedagogy.  The  future  career  of  a  child  de- 
pends, in  a  measure,  upon  his  first  training.  How 
many  bright  prospects  are  not  blighted  through  the 
inefficiency  of  teachers!  Nay,  how  many  brilliant 
intellects  are  perhaps  dwarfed  in  their  development 


214    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

through  lack  of  skill  and  experience  on  the  part  of  in- 
structors !  That  we  should  have  been  destined  to  teach 
and  form  young  minds  ought  to  be  our  glory  and  suf- 
ficient for  any  ambition. 

What  guarantee  have  we  that  we  could  accom- 
plish more  good  in  an  advanced  class  ?  Is  it  not  pre- 
sumption? "A  man,"  says  Alphonsus  Eodriguez, 
"who  would  bind  himself  for  life  to  the  service  of 
some  distinguished  person  of  rank,  and  who  would 
consent  to  fill  the  lowliest  functions,  if  necessary, 
would  give  a  much  greater  proof  of  zeal  and  devot- 
edness,  than  the  one  who  would  serve  only  on  con- 
dition that  he  be  placed  in  the  highest  position, 
which,  in  a  manner,  always  brings  with  it  its  own 
reward.  Moreover,  the  greater  the  aptitude  of  such 
a  servant,  the  more  would  his  master  esteem  him 
for  his  humility  and  conduct."  Thus  likewise  is  it 
with  the  Christian  teacher. 

"Of  what  value,"  remarks  Bourdaloue,  (1)  "can 
I  suppose  those  works  to  be  with  God,  which  are  done, 
not  for  His  sake,  but  to  gratify  my  own  vanity,  and 
to  attract  the  notice  and  esteem  of  men?  Even  if  I 
do  not  go  so  far  as  formally  to  seek  myself,  but  really 
think  I  have  God  in  view,  the  merit  of  my  actions  will 
be  destroyed,  if  I  attempt  to  divide  the  glory  of  them 
with  Him  by  taking  pleasure  in  the  commendations 
of  men,  and  dwelling  with  complacency  on  what  I 
achieve.  It  is  easy  for  pride  to  assume  the  mark  of 
humility." 

If  it  be  our  desire  to  serve  God  only  in  the  highest 
positions,  there  is  no  great  sacrifice  on  our  part,  much 

(1)  Retraite  Spirituelle. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  215 

less  does  it  evince  any  great  zeal  or  devotedness  in 
His  service.  If,  on  the  contrary,  we  are  ready  to  de- 
vote our  whole  life  to  the  faithful  performance  of  the 
lowliest  functions,  particularly  those  which  are  op- 
posed to  our  vanity  or  pride,  then  we  must  rest  as- 
sured that  we  are  giving  the  strongest  proof  of  our 
love  of  God  and  of  our  purity  of  intention. 

Moreover,  the  greater  our  natural  talents  and 
ability,  the  greater  should  be  the  magnanimous  char- 
acter of  our  humility.  If  these  are  the  thoughts  and 
sentiments  of  the  Christian  teacher,  it  wil  be  a  mat- 
ter of  indifference  to  him  whether  he  teaches  a  pri- 
mary class,  or  the  senior  class  in  the  College.  He  is 
aware  that  he  is  serving  the  King  of  heaven,  and  in 
accordance  with  an  old  adage:  "In  the  King's  ser- 
vice there  is  nothing  small."  Therefore,  he  is  con- 
tent, because,  in  being  allowed  to  serve,  there  is  a 
great  honor  conferred  upon  him.  For  to  serve  Him 
is  to  reign  forever. 

_  _i_    | »t. B 

I. 

LOVE  OF  ST.  FRANCIS  DE  SALES  FOR  CHILDREN. 

The  first  public  act  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales  in  his 
Diocese  was  to  establish  Catechism  classes.  He  ex- 
ercised the  function  of  Catechist  himself,  and  so 
rigorously  did  he  observe  this  self-imposed  task  that 
he  never  dispensed  himself  therefrom,  unless  the  other 
duties  of  his  episcopal  position  rendered  this  min- 
istry morally  impossible.  Whenever  this  occurred, 


216    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

he  was  very  careful  to  select  the  most  learned  clergy- 
man of  his  household  to  replace  him.  Indeed,  not 
content  with  having  the  children  present  at  these 
catechetical  instructions,  he  left  nothing  undone  to 
make  them  attractive  even  to  adults. 

Despite  the  Saint's  disinterestedness,  there  were 
some  who  censured  him  for  desiring  the  parishioners 
to  attend.  ' '  What  an  idea  of  our  Bishop, ' '  said  they, 
"to  place  the  learned  on  the  same  level  with  the  ig- 
norant, and  to  expect  every  one  to  become  a  child." 
The  only  answer  the  gentle  Bishop  vouchsafed  to 
these  critics  was  couched  in  the  language  of  Scrip- 
ture: Unless  you  become  as  little  children  you  shall 
not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  (*> 

Occasionally  he  would  excite  the  piety  and  inter- 
est of  the  children  by  some  ceremonies  which  he  knew 
would  be  attractive  to  them.  Accordingly,  he  ap- 
pointed two  Sundays  of  each  year,  when  he  would 
lead  them  in  procession  through  the  city,  being  ac- 
companied by  his  priests,  singing  the  litanies  or  else 
quietly  reciting  the  rosary,  with  a  pious  and  modest 
demeanor.  Here  again,  some  admired  him  exceeding- 
ly in  the  discharge  of  these  humble  functions,  while 
others  expressed  their  disapproval,  saying:  "Why 
should  a  Bishop  condescend  to  occupy  himself  with 
such  lowly  functions  and  devote  his  time  to  the  chil- 
dren and  the  poor?"  Some  one  informed  the  holy 
prelate  of  their  criticisms,  but  he  simply  replied  in 
the  words  of  Jesus  Christ:  Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  (2) 
He  gave  no  further  heed  to  their  murmurs,  continuing 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  viii,  3.     (2)  St.  Luke,  xviii,  16. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  217 

in  the  processions  regardless  of  what  idle  tongues  had 
to  say. 

The  children's  hearts  had  been  so  completely  won 
by  such  a  manifestation  of  goodness  and  kindness, 
that  whenever  St.  Francis  de  Sales  appeared  in  the 
street,  they  came  to  him  from  every  section  of  the 
city,  taking  up  their  positions  on  the  right  or  left  of 
the  road,  pressing  so  close  to  his  person,  as  hardly 
to  allow  him  a  passage  to  pursue  his  way.  All  were 
so  eager  to  receive  his  blessing  or  to  kiss  his  hand 
or  even  his  episcopal  robe,  and  some  would  actually 
follow  him  on  their  knees,  until  they  had  obtained 
this  special  privilege. 

As  he  advanced,  this  little  band  continually  in- 
creased. When  those  who  accompanied  him  would 
lose  their  patience,  he  forbade  them  to  put  the  little 
ones  away.  " Suffer  them  to  come,"  he  would  sweet- 
ly say,  "they  are  my  little  people."  And  when  the 
children  would  have  lost  sight  of  him,  they  would 
run  home  to  acquaint  their  parents  of  the  pleasure 
they  had  enjoyed,  and  repeat  the  kind  words  the 
gentle  Prelate  had  addressed  to  them. 


II. 

THE  SUPERIOR'S  COMMAND  is  GOD'S  WILL. 

Doubtless,  we  may  say  that  to  do  God's  will  in 
all  things  and  at  all  times,  is  a  great  act  of  perfec- 
tion. Moreover,  it  is  equally  clear  that  in  complying 
with  the  superior's  will  and  faithfully  performing  the 


218    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

work  thus  assigned,  God's  will  is  accomplished,  but 
this  can  also  be  better  and  more  profitably  done  in 
a  higher  position  or  more  advanced  class.  Any  Chris- 
tian teacher  who  holds  such  a  view  from  selfish  mo- 
tives, prompted  by  vain  ambition,  unquestionably 
violates  the  principles  of  Christian  perfection.  Now, 
such  a  teacher  would  desire  that  God  should  con- 
descend to  do  his  bidding,  rather  than  that  he  should 
submit  to  the  Divine  Will.  This  is  undoubtedly  ar- 
rogance and  presumption.  Assuredly,  it  does  not  be- 
long to  any  man  to  dictate  conditions  to  God  and  pre- 
sume that  Providence  should  adapt  itself  to  his  ex- 
press wishes  or  preferences;  but  rather,  it  behooves 
him  to  follow  implicitly  and  blindly  the  path  that 
God  has  traced  out  for  him,  and  to  conform  himself 
entirely  to  the  ruling  of  His  benign  Providence.  ' '  He 
merits  to  be  called  Thy  servant,"  said  St.  Augustine, 
"who  asks  not  to  command  what  he  desires,  but  who 
strives  simply  to  desire  that  which  Thou  ordainest." 
"Do  not  pray  that  your  own  will  be  done,"  counsels 
the  saintly  Abbot  Nilus,  (1)  "but  pray  as  you  have 
been  taught  to  pray,  that  God's  will  may  be  ac- 
complished concerning  you." 

Let  those  words  sink  deep  into  our  hearts  and  make 
them  frequently  the  subject-matter  of  earnest  con- 
verse with  God.  For  they  contain  a  most  salutary 
counsel  which  will  be  especially  useful  as  a  preserva- 
tive against  sadness  and  discouragement,  consequent 
upon  the  trials,  disappointments,  and  tribulations  of 
life.  It  is  God's  concern  and  not  ours  to  choose  the 
employment  which  we  must  discharge.  Moreover,  it 

(1)  Treatise  on  Meditation, 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  219 

is  not  our  privilege  to  determine  in  what  or  how 
we  ought  to  serve  Him.  Are  we  then  sincerely  hon- 
est in  our  intention  to  serve  and  please  God  ?  Let  us 
ask  Him  to  guide  us  into  the  way  of  His  Providence 
and  not  to  allow  us  to  follow  our  weak  and  blind 
judgment.  And,  if  He  should  lead  us  through  a 
steep,  rugged,  and  thorny  path  whose  very  aspect  ter- 
rifies us,  but  which  we  will  nevertheless  pursue  with 
implicit  confidence  and  entire  resignation,  we  will 
indeed  prove  ourselves  true  followers  of  Jesus  Christ, 
Who  asked  to  do  His  Father's  will,  and  not  His  own. 
No  one  can  affirm  that  he  has  perfect  conformity  to 
the  will  of  God,  if  he  do  not  place  himself  unreserved- 
ly in  His  hands,  that  he  may  do  whatever  God  will 
demand  of  him  without  the  least  semblance  of  oppo- 
sition. 

We  have  no  more  right  to  choose  the  function 
which  we  shall  discharge  in  the  house  of  God,  than 
we  have  to  select  the  trials  and  temptations  which 
we  will  have  to  endure  in  this  life.  Consequently, 
we  should  receive  with  submission  the  Chalice  of  bit- 
terness which  the  Lord  sends  us  and  consider  it  as 
the  most  effective  to  our  salvation.  We  should,  more- 
over, accept  with  joy  whatever  employment  is  en- 
trusted to  us  by  our  superiors,  and  be  convinced  that 
the  ministry  which  they  shall  assign  us,  will,  more 
than  any  other,  conduce  to  the  interests  of  our  eternal 
salvation. 

"The  masters  of  the  spiritual  life,"  says  Alphon- 
sus  Rodriguez,  "teach  that  there  is  still  another  means 
to  attain  a  higher  degree  of  perfection  in  this  con- 
formity to  God's  will.  They  assure  us  that  we  must 


220    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

put  ourselves  into  the  hands  of  our  heavenly  Father 
with  such  confidence,  that  we  will  not  experience 
even  the  least  desire  to  ascertain  what  it  may  please 
Him  to  do  with  us.  The  greatest  proof  of  confidence 
which  a  master  can  give  his  servant,  is  to  entrust  him 
with  the  care  of  his  household  without  demanding 
of  him  an  account  of  his  stewardship."  W 

Behold,  said  Joseph,  my  master  hath  delivered  all 
things  to  me,  and  knowing  not  what  he  hath  in  his 
own  house.  (2>  Thus  should  we  act,  giving  to  God  this, 
strong  testimony  of  our  faith  and  love  by  remaining 
wholly  indifferent  as  to  what  He  may  have  destined 
for  us,  saying:  "I  am  in  good  hands  and  that  suf- 
fices for  me.  In  this  thought,  I  find  peace  and  tran- 
quillity, and  I  desire  to  know  naught  else." 


III. 

MOTIVES  FOR  ESTEEMING  PRIMARY  CLASSES. 

Viewed  from  the  standard  of  reason,  and  more 
especially  from  that  of  Christian  faith,  the  teacher 
in  the  lower  grades  is  undeniably  worthy  of  all  es- 
teem. Such  a  position  is,  assuredly,  eminently  con- 
soling, important,  and  meritorious. 

In  the  primary  classes,  the  greater  number  of 
children  are  still  innocent.  It  is  to  their  teacher,  as 
to  their  visible  guardian  angel,  that  the  keeping  of 
this  precious  treasure  is  confided.  What  a  consola- 
tion for  him  to  think  that  all  these  dear  little  in- 


(1)  St.  Luke,  xxii,  42.     (2)   Gen.,  xxxix,  8. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  221 

nocent  souls  are  the  special  objects  of  God's  predi- 
lection, for  in  them  God  has  reflected  His  own  image 
and  likeness,  as  yet  untarnished  by  sin ! 

Owing  to  his  position,  the  Christian  teacher  of  a 
primary  class,  shares  with  our  Lord  the  care  of  the 
most  estimable  portion  of  His  flock.  Who  does  not 
recall  the  pleasure  this  good  Master  took  in  seeing 
Himself  surrounded  by  little  ones,  whose  candor  and 
innocence  charmed  His  Sacred  Heart!  Who  does 
not  remember  how  our  Lord  one  day  took  one  of 
these  little  ones,  pressing  him  to  His  Heart,  and  say- 
ing to  His  Apostles :  Whosoever  receiveth  one  of  these 
little  ones  in  my  name,  receiveth  Me!  (1) 

This  unspeakable  love  of  the  Saviour  for  little 
ones  was  so  well  known,  that  mothers  eagerly  came 
to  Him  from  every  quarter  and  presented  their  chil- 
dren to  Him,  that  He  might  receive  them  in  His  arms, 
lay  His  hands  upon  them,  and  bless  them.  One  day 
the  Apostles,  thinking  that  He  was  inconvenienced 
by  the  great  crowd  that  came  to  Him,  undertook  to 
rebuke  the  parents  for  importuning  Him.  Our  Lord 
was  displeased  on  account  of  their  rudeness  and  said 
to  them :  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  Me, 
and  forbid  them  not.  For  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
God.  (2) 

The  beginnings  in  all  undertakings  are  of  para- 
mount importance.  The  traveler  who  goes  astray 
at  the  beginning  of  his  journey,  gets  farther  from 
his  term  of  destination  in  so  far  as  he  continues 
to  advance.  The  least  error  in  the  foundation  of 
an  important  edifice  may  result  in  serious  conse- 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  xvii,  5;  St.  Mark  ix,  36. 

(2)  St.  Mark,  x,  llf. 


222    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

quences.  A  tree  whose  roots  have  been  injured,  will 

never  produce  good  fruit Thus  the 

education  commenced  in  the  lowest  grades  has  a  very 
decisive  effect,  either  for  good  or  evil  on  the  pu- 
pils, and  may  affect  their  whole  career. 

The  Christian  teacher  of  the  primary  or  inter- 
mediary classes  works,  as  it  were,  on  new  souls  in 
which  the  obstacles  to  good  have  not  yet  attained 
to  any  serious  consistency.  Consequently,  the  in- 
struction which  he  imparts,  is  a  seed  of  virtue  which 
he  implants  in  their  young  and  tender  hearts,  with 
the  assurance  that  later  on  it  will  bear  abundant 
fruit. 

A  field  produces  only  the  crop  that  was  sown  there- 
in. Hence  the  first  impression  on  the  mind  is,  in 
a  manner,  the  first  foundation  of  grace  and  virtue 
which  can  never  be  entirely  effaced. 

When  the  true  Christian  teacher  is  animated  by  an 
enlightened  zeal  and  governed  by  high  aspirations  of 
faith,  he  will  find  his  ministry  not  only  a  source  of 
many  graces,  but  likewise  an  occasion  of  acquiring 
rich  treasures  of  merit. 

"The  prayers  of  little  children,"  said  a  saintly 
character,  (1)  "are  very  pleasing  to  God.  The  purity 
of  their  innocent  hearts  is  a  prayer  incomparably 
more  excellent  than  any  our  lips  can  pronounce." 
And  the  Prophet  asks :  God  is  all-powerful  and  what 
can  resist  Him?  And  we  answer:  The  prayer  of 
children.  ' '  The  child  who  has  preserved  his  baptismal 
innocence,"  declared  the  Cure  d'Ars,  "commands 
God,  and  He  obeys." 

(1)  Monnin,  Vie  de  Cure  d'Ars. 


BETTER  WORK  IS  ACHIEVED.  223 

There  is  a  wonderful  intercessory  power  accorded 
to  the  prayers  of  innocent  childhood,  and  it  constitutes 
also  a  source  of  grace  which  hardly  needs  be  pointed 
out  to  the  Christian  teacher.  It  is  likewise  an  ex- 
cellent means  of  exercising  the  Apostleship  of  prayer. 

Let  those,  therefore,  whom  obedience  retains  in 
the  lower  grades  learn  how  to  appreciate  the  import- 
ance, the  beauty,  the  attractiveness  of  their  lowly 
function.  For  the  more  humble  they  appear  in  the 
eyes  of  nature,  the  more  sublime  are  they  when  viewed 
from  the  standard  of  Christian  faith. 


IV. 

THE  FAMOUS  LHOMOND'S  LOVE  FOR  THE  LOWER  GRADES. 

The  celebrated  Abbe  Lhomond  entered  the  Col- 
lege d'Inville,  near  Paris,  upon  a  scholarship.  Having 
completed  his  collegiate  course,  he,  through  a  deep 
sense  of  gratitude,  became  connected  with  the  pre- 
paratory school  where  he  had  received  his  elementary 
education.  Here  he  spent  several  years  in  teaching, 
when  he  was  induced  to  take  the  office  of  Principal. 
On  account  of  his  great  ability  and  rare  talents,  he 
was,  shortly  afterwards,  called  to  a  professorship  in 
the  College  of  Cardinal  Lemoine,  and  here  he  re- 
solved henceforth  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to 
the  education  of  children  of  the  lower  grades.  De- 
spite the  great  pressure  that  was  brought  to  bear 
upon  him  to  induce  him  to  accept  a  position  more 
in  consonance  with  his  talents  and  erudition,  he  per- 


224    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

sisted  in  adhering  to  his  resolution.  Abbe  Lhomond 
was  proof  against  all  these  tempting  offers,  even 
continually  refusing  benefices  and  ecclesiastical  dig- 
nities, esteeming  himself  highly  honored,  he  affirmed, 
to  be  called  to  implant  the  seeds  of  virtue  in  the  hearts 
of  the  youngest  children. 

Thus,  did  this  eminent  man  who  possessed  such 
rare  and  varied  knowledge,  devote  more  than  twenty 
years  to  teaching  the  elements  of  science,  emulating 
the  beautiful  example  of  Gerson,  the  Chancellor  of 
the  University  of  Paris,  who  spent  the  last  years 
of  his  life  in  teaching  the  Christian  Doctrine  to  lit- 
tle children.  After  these  twenty  years,  spent  in  the 
arduous  task  of  teaching,  Abbe  Lhomond,  having  be- 
come professor  emeritus,  was  retired,  but  he  never 
lost  sight  of  children  who  had  ever  been  so  dear  to 
him.  Keeping  them  and  their  interests  in  view,  he 
passed  the  remaining  years  of  his  life  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  many  excellent  text-books  for  the  use  of  be- 
ginners. These  works  give  unquestionable  proof  of 
genius  and  talent  as  well  as  of  the  experience  which 
had  been  acquired  in  the  difficult  art  of  education. 

Let  the  Christian  teacher  draw  his  own  inference 
from  this  beautiful  example,  and  let  him  treasure  the 
words  of  the  poet :  If  you  wish  to  reach  the  highest, 
begin  at  the  lowest. 

' '  Some  persons  walk  not  sincerely  before  Me ;  but 
being  led  with  a  certain  curiosity  and  pride,  desire  to 
know  the  hidden  things  of  My  Providence,  and  to  un- 
derstand the  high  things  of  God,  neglecting  themselves 
and  their  own  salvation."  (1) 


(1)   The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  Chapter  IV, 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OP  THE  POOEER  CLASS.          225 


ELEVENTH  OBJECTION. 

THE  PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OP  THE  POORER  CLASS. 

"The  poor  too  often  turn  away  unheard, 
Prom   hearts   that   shut   against   them   with   a   sound 
That    will   be   heard    in   heaven." — Longfellow. 

This  objection  is  evidently  based  upon  an  improper 
motive,  with  an  admixture  of  self-love  and  a  lack  of 
due  appreciation  of  our  sublime  calling.  Now,  "mo- 
tive is  one  of  the  essential  elements  of  true  right- 
eousness," justly  observes  Father  Didon  in  his  ad- 
mirable Life  of  Jesus  Christ, ' '  for  it  is  the  mainspring 
of  our  acts ;  if  the  motive  is  bad,  it  corrupts  the  act ; 
if  pure,  it  elevates  it.  Unless  the  motive  is  good,  the 
best  acts  are  but  vices,  they  have  only  the  outward 
show  of  good.  The  man  who  does  them  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  virtue,  but  in  the  sight  of  God  he  is 
only  a  hypocrite. 

' '  Jesus  requires  of  His  disciples  that  their  motives 
shall  be  pure  and  as  exalted  as  their  actions.  The 
greatest  sin  and  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  eradicate, 
is  secret  pride.  Man  loves  himself  more  than  he  loves 
God;  he  ever  seeks  his  own  glory,  and  pursues  it 
in  his  incurable  vanity ;  even  in  his  works  of  religion 
and  piety,  he  desires  to  be  seen,  applauded,  and  ex- 
tolled. Even  those  who  profess  holiness  do  not  es- 
cape the  subtle  poison  of  self-glory,  and  in  their  case 
we  meet  with  more  refined  forms  of  pride. 

Moreover,  "Jesus  insists  on  the  divine  motive 
15 


226    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

which  should  govern  our  acts  and  consecrate  our  du- 
ties. His  disciple  should  not  look  to  the  world,  nor 
to  men,  nor  to  any  created  thing.  No  more  egoism, 
nor  self-love,  no  more  vain  joy  and  glory ;  the  Father 
only  and  always:  it  is  to  Him  alone  we  must  look, 
and  for  whom  we  must  act ;  He  is  hidden  in  our  con- 
science, and  in  the  depths  of  our  being,  but  He  sees, 
He  hears,  He  rewards,  He  blesses." 

"Contemplate  our  Lord,"  says  St.  Bonaventure,(1) 
"seated  at  a  well,  waiting  for  the  return  of  His 
disciples  with  food,  and  see  with  what  humility  and 
condescension  He  speaks  to  the  poor  woman  of  Sa- 
maria. Contemplate  His  frugality;  for  the  disciples 
were  to  return  with  food,  but  where  was  He  to 
eat  it?  At  the  side  of  the  well,  or  by  the  stream  or 
fountain,  and  this  we  may  presume  was  His  custom, 
through  poverty  and  simplicity  of  life.  He  had  no 
exquisite  dainties,  no  richly  wrought  vessels,  no  deli- 
cate wines,  but  had  only  pure  water  from  fountain 
or  rivulet." 

Whose  resemblance  did  Jesus  Christ  put  on? 
For  whom  did  He  evince  the  greatest  predilection? 
"Was  it  for  the  rich  Pharisees  that  He  reserved  His 
blessings,  benefits,  and  miracles  ?  We  have  merely  to 
read  the  Gospels  and  we  will  see  that  He  made  Him- 
self the  poorest  among  the  poor.  His  miracles  were 
wrought  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  the  blind,  the 
lame.  His  life,  having  been  spent  in  their  service, 
He  ended  His  ministry  on  earth  in  the  most  abject 
poverty,  being  glad  on  Calvary  to  receive,  as  we  learn 
from  the  Revelations  of  St.  Bridget,  a  piece  of  linen 

(1)  Meditationes  Vitae  Christi. 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OP  THE  POORER  CLASS.  227 

as  alms  to  gird  His  loins.  0  heaven !  the  Son  of  God, 
the  Creator  of  angels  and  men,  the  King  of  heaven 
and  earth  and  Sovereign  Master  of  all  they  contain, 
reduces  Himself  to  this  extremity,  to  show  us  how 
He  esteemed  poverty  and  the  poor;  and  we  proud 
mortals  complain  that  He  had  confided  to  our  care 
His  special  friends,  the  poor!  No  wonder  that  even 
Lucan  should  have  declared  that  poverty  is  shunned 
and  persecuted  all  over  the  globe. 

And,  what  was  and  is  the  conduct  of  His  Spouse, 
the  Church?  She,  at  all  times,  esteemed  the  poor 
as  her  most  precious  treasures.  Indeed,  she  did  not 
hesitate  to  sell  her  gold  and  silver  vessels  to  relieve 
the  wants  of  the  poor  and  distressed  in  times  of  ur- 
gent need,  or  pestilence,  or  raging  epidemics.  Who 
can  read  the  touching  development  of  the  first  Beati- 
tude: Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  by  Kenelm 
II.  Digby,  (1)  and  remain  cold,  unmoved  or  indiffer- 
ent? It  were  well  if  the  Christian  teacher  would  re- 
fresh his  memory  and  learn  from  the  many  established 
facts  given  therein  what  the  Church  did  in  all  ages, 
but  particularly  during  that  much  maligned  and  ill- 
understood  period  of  the  Middle  Ages.  Let  him  study 
carefully  the  origin  of  many  of  the  colleges  connected 
with  the  University  of  Paris  and  the  Sorbonne  itself. 
The  same  spirit  gave  rise  to  similar  foundations  in 
England,  Spain,  Germany,  and  Italy.  Did  not  St. 
Peter  Gonzales  exchange  the  honors  and  pleasures  of 
the  court  for  the  privilege  of  teaching  Catechism  to 
the  poor  children  of  the  fishermen  and  sailors  on 
the  Spanish  peninsula?  Indeed,  one  might  write  a 

(1)  Mores  Catholici  or  The  Ages  of  Faith,  Vol.  7. 


228    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

book  upon  the  education  which  was  given  to  the  poor 
in  the  Middle  Ages  by  the  charity  of  the  rich. 

"How  subtle  is  self-love,"  wrote  Louis  de  Gran- 
ada, "and  how  it  seeks  some  utility  for  itself,  even 
amidst  noble  affections!"  Are  the  children  of  the 
poor  so  distasteful  to  us  that  we  do  not  perceive  in 
them  the  image  of  Godf  Surely,  0  Christian  teach- 
ers, we  can  not  be  so  insensible  to  their  demands  in 
the  breaking  of  bread !  "What  animated  the  zeal  of  a 
St.  Patrick  for  the  destitute  of  Ireland?  "What  was 
the  motive  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo  in  establishing 
Catechism  classes  for  the  poor  children  of  his  Arch- 
diocese of  Milan?  AVill  you  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the 
dictum  of  Petronius  who  affirmed  that  poverty  is  the 
sister  of  a  sound  mind?  Did  not  that  great  genius 
of  educational  reforms,  St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle, 
thoroughly  grasp  the  full  intensity  of  this  dictum? 
And  what  will  we  say  of  a  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  of  a 
Dom  Bosco,  and  of  a  Rosmini  ? 

"We  must  be  convinced,"  observes  St.  John  Bap- 
tist de  la  Salle,  (!)  "that  so  long  as  we  are  attached 
to  the  practice  of  poverty  and  to  all  that  may  humble 
us,  we  will  realize  great  fruit  in  souls.  The  angels  of 
God  will  make  known  our  worth.  They  will  inspire 
parents  to  send  us  their  children;  by  means  of  our 
instructions  the  hearts  of  these  poor  children  will 
be  touched,  and  most  of  them  will  become  true  Chris- 
tians. If  we  do  not  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  the 
new-born  Divine  Infant,  in  our  spirit  of  poverty  and 
humility,  we  will  be  little  known  and  our  services 
will  not  be  demanded.  We  will  be  neither  loved 


(1)  Meditations  for  Sundays  and  Festivals.     On  the  Nativity, 
Vol.  I. 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OP  THE  POORER  CLASS.  229 

nor  appreciated  by  the  poor.  We  will  never  become 
their  savior.  Yet,  this  is  the  object  of  our  ministry. 
"We  will  fulfill  this  mission  only  in  as  far  as  we  re- 
semble Jesus  in  the  stable  of  Bethlehem." 

How  noble,  therefore,  is  the  ministry  of  the  Chris- 
tian teacher!  What  a  consoling,  fruitful  mission! 
Wherever  there  is  a  human  being,  remarks  Seneca, 
there  is  an  opportunity  for  a  kindness.  Aye,  it  is 
difficult  to  tell  how  much  men 's  minds,  said  Cicero,  are 
conciliated  by  kind  manner  and  gentle  speech.  Can 
you  conceive  of  a  better  opportunity  than  among  the 
poor?  Assuredly,  the  Christian  teacher  who  is  filled 
with  a  true  apostolic  zeal,  will  cheerfully  sacrifice 
himself  to  console  the  poor,  lift  up  their  minds,  and 
ennoble  their  hearts  by  kindness  and  gentle  speech. 

We  should  give  ourselves  up  wholly  to  this  noble 
work  of  charity  and  render  thanks  to  God  that  our 
field  of  labor  is  with  the  poor,  destitute,  and  neg- 
lected. To  whom  shall  they  go,  if  not  to  us!  Who 
shall  teach  them  to  save  their  souls,  if  not  the  fol- 
lower of  Christ!  Who  can  foretell  what  great  schol- 
ars and  saints  shall  come  forth  from  the  classes  of 
poor  children!  Let  us  be  content,  therefore,  with 
our  ministry  among  the  poor  and  esteem  it  as  our 
special  work  of  predilection.  Let  us  banish  all  vain 
conceits  and  ambition,  and  cease  all  murnmrings, 
take  heed  of  the  poet 's  words : 

"Dangerous  conceits  are,   in  their  natures,   poisons, 
Which,  at  the  first,  are  scarce  found  to  distaste ; 
But,  with  a  little  act  upon  the  blood, 
Burn  like  the  mines  of  sulphur." — Shakespeare. 


230    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


I. 


THE  SOULS  ONLY,   OF   THOSE  ENTRUSTED  TO  OUR   CARE, 
SHOULD  BE  CONSIDERED. 

Among  the  many  rules  laid  down  by  the  saints 
and  masters  of  the  spiritual  life  for  those  having  the 
care  of  souls,  there  is  one  principle  of  great  import- 
ance and  upon  which  they  lay  great  stress,  namely, 
to  concentrate  our  whole  attention  on  the  soul  with- 
out allowing  ourselves  to  deviate  therefrom  in  any 
manner  whatever.  There  are  some,  affirms  St.  Ber- 
nard, who  would,  esteeming  but  the  temporal  ad- 
vantages of  nature  or  fortune,  desire  to  have  deal- 
ings only  with  such  as  are  thus  favored.  Now,  those 
who  view  things  through  the  spirit  of  faith,  value 
only  the  soul  whose  beauty  is  altogether  interior, 
being  entirely  independent  of  the  exterior  graces 
given  to  the  body.  Moreover,  it  shines  with  greater  or 
less  brightness  before  God  and  in  the  eyes  of  faith, 
in  proportion  as  it  is  more  or  less  richly  adorned  by 
grace  and  virtue.  The  exterior  beauty  of  the  body 
should  be  looked  upon  as  naught,  unless  it  be  accom- 
panied by  an  interior  beauty  of  soul.  For  the  former 
we  have  in  common  with  the  brute  and  inanimate 
creatures,  whereas  the  latter  we  enjoy  specially  in 
common  with  angelic  spirits.  Hence,  according  to 
the  teaching  of  the  saintly  Abbot  of  Clairvaux,  this 
is  the  beauty  that  should  principally  attract  us.  Con- 
sequently, we  should  esteem  only  the  soul,  the  living 
image  of  God,  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
member  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  clothed  it,  as  it 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OF  THE  POORER  CLASS.          231 

were,  with  His  Blood  and  redeemed  it  by  His  Death. 
And,  when  we  consider  that  sin  has  deformed  the 
soul,  and  through  it,  has  annulled  the  Cross  and 
the  Passion  of  Jesus  in  its  regard,  our  hearts  should 
be  rent  with  grief,  sorrow,  and  compunction.  More- 
over, whatever  refers  to  the  body  alone  should  care- 
fully be  eliminated  from  our  thoughts  and  considera- 
tions, and  be  esteemed  as  naught  else  than  a  mere 
dunghill  covered  with  snow,  or  as  a  whitened  sepul- 
chre, for  it  is,  after  all,  nothing  else.  Nay,  Gerson 
even  desires  that  those  in  care  of  souls  should  act 
as  though  the  material  bodies  had  no  existence,  and 
that  they  had  only  dealings  with  pure  spirits.  The 
single  eye  rests  only  on  souls.  It  should  consider  only 
their  needs,  and  preclude  every  other  thought,  be- 
cause it  is  wholly  foreign  to  souls. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  this  principle  is  of 
primary  importance.  The  first  reason  is  that  our 
love  for  our  neighbor,  having  its  source  in  the  motive 
of  the  purest  charity  and  being  founded  exclusively 
on  God  Who  is  its  sole  motive  and  end,  should  pre- 
clude all  earthly  affections.  The  second  reason  is 
that  in  the  exercise  of  our  charity,  this  principle 
teaches  that  we  must  make  no  exception  of  persons, 
and  fulfill  our  duties  toward  the  poor  as  well  as  the 
rich,  with  an  equal  love  and  disinterestedness.  The 
soul  of  the  least  of  our  brethren,  or  of  the  man  most 
destitute  of  worldly  goods,  is  of  no  less  value  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  cost  Jesus  not  one  drop  less  of 
His  Precious  Blood  than  did  the  soul  of  the  greatest 
potentate.  According  to  St.  Ambrose,  our  Lord  is 
a  beautiful  exemplification  of  this  principle.  In 


232    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

the  Gospels  we  find  that  He  refused  to  enter  the 
ruler's  house  who  besought  Him  to  come  and  cure 
his  son,  lest  He  should  seem  to  manifest  too  much 
deference  to  the  rich  man.  But  how  different  His 
conduct  when  the  centurion  sent  a  messenger  to  ap- 
prise Him  of  his  servant's  illness  and  entreat  our 
Lord  to  heal  him !  It  is  thus  that  He  wishes  to  teach 
us  that,  when  exercising  our  charitable  ministry,  con- 
dition and  rank  of  life  should  altogether  be  set 
aside.  "We  must  but  seek  the  souls  to  be  saved,  as 
the  great  Apostle  counsels:  There  is  neither  bond, 
nor  free.  For  you  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus. (1) 

Moreover,  if  charity  for  our  neighbor  ~  be  what 
it  should  be,  our  predilection  would  be  for  the  poor 
rather  than  for  the  rich,  for  children  of  lowly  birth 
rather  than  those  of  noble  parentage.  First,  this  is 
what  our  Lord  teaches  us  by  His  own  example.  Sec- 
ond, the  poor  recall  to  us  in  a  more  perfect  manner 
than  the  rich,  the  image  of  our  Divine  Master,  who, 
being  rich  He  became  poor  for  your  sakes,  that 
through  His  poverty  you  might  be  rich.  <2)  Third, 
we  will  have,  possessing  this  disposition,  a  greater  as- 
surance that  it  is  God  alone  Whom  we  seek  in  the 
discharge  of  our  functions,  and  that  it  is  for  Him 
alone  we  labor. 

Hence,  we  should  not  be  foolishly  annoyed  or 
disconcerted  whether  the  class  assigned  us  be  ad- 
vanced or  not,  or  the  children  thereof  be  rich  or  poor. 
"We  should  have  only  one  ambition,  namely,  to  fulfill 
our  duties  faithfully  and  as  perfectly  as  our  feeble 
nature  permits,  and  thus  gain  to  Jesus  Christ  the 
souls  that  were  entrusted  to  our  loving  care. 

(1)   Gal.,  Hi,  28.      (2)  II.  Cor.,  viii,  9. 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OF  THE  POORER  CLASS.  233 

II. 
POOR    PETER    TEACHING    THE    POOR    AND    SICK. 

"Imagine  not,  reader,"  writes  Kenelni  Digby,  (1) 
"that  I  am  indulging  in  any  mere  ideal  picture,  un- 
supported by  facts;  for  be  assured  that  the  scene  of 
many  affecting  episodes,  worthy  of  being  by  poets 
sung,  of  many  beautiful  and  sublime  conversations, 
religious  and  philosophical,  that  would  not  be  un- 
worthy of  the  noblest  pen,  might  with  strict  regard 
to  historic  truth  be  laid  in  the  hospital  of  the  Mid- 
dle Ages.  Modern  writers  of  imaginary  conversation 
need  not  go  back  to  the  Tusculan  villa  for  a  proper 
locality;  they  will  find  it  nearer  at  hand,  in  the 
hospice  of  the  poor. 

"A  great  French  physician,  the  Baron  d'Alibert, 
speaks  of  a  mysterious  patient  in  the  hospital  of  St. 
Louis,  at  Paris,  who  bore  the  name  of  Poor  Peter, 
but  whose  real  origin  was  known  to  no  one,  though 
it  was  evident  from  his  language  that  he  had  re- 
ceived a  finished  education.  He  used  to  repeat  by 
heart  fragments  of  the  Iliad  and  the  Odyssey;  and, 
having  travelled  over  a  great  portion  of  the  globe, 
it  was  his  amusement  to  compare  himself  to  Ulysses. 
His  countenance  was  noble,  his  manner  full  of  dig- 
nity, and  the  charm  of  his  conversation  attracted 
every  one.  He  had  been  a  soldier  in  his  youth,  and 
after  his  return  from  Africa,  he  used  to  live  in  the 
most  obscure  quarters  of  Paris,  teaching  arithmetic  to 
poor  children,  and  accepting  hospitality  wherever  it 

(1)  Mores  Catholici,  Vol.  I. 


234    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

was  offered  him.  His  clothes  were  in  tatters,  and 
he  always  carried  a  pilgrim's  staff. 

"The  hospital  of  St.  Louis  at  that  time  was  an 
asylum  in  which  many  men  of  letters  had  taken  refuge. 
This  poor  Peter,  attended  by  a  dog,  which  never  left 
his  side,  being  received  here,  soon  attracted  general 
attention ;  and  the  Baron  describes  the  interesting  dis- 
courses which  he  used  to  deliver  under  the  porches 
of  the  hospital.  Among  the  sufferers  whom  he  used 
to  console  were  the  translator  of  Bacon's  works,  a 
jurisconsult,  some  Neapolitan  exiles,  a  poet,  a  painter, 
and  some  other  artists.  D  'Alibert  says  that  his  coun- 
tenance wore  that  venerable  air  which  the  habit  of 
meditation  gives,  and  that,  after  some  days,  he  gained 
such  an  ascendancy  over  all  the  patients,  that  they 
used  to  regard  him  with  sentiments  of  fear  and 
respect.  The  courts  of  the  hospital  are  planted  with 
trees,  and  it  was  under  their  shade  that  this  old 
stranger  used  to  hold,  as  it  were,  his  school,  inspiring 
his  fellow-sufferers  with  resignation  and  courage.  No 
one  was  tired  listening  to  him;  and  from  about  sun- 
set, when  his  rhapsodies  generally  began,  they  used 
to  remain  seated  on  the  grass  till  a  late  hour  of  the 
night. 

"Once  I  glided  in  amongst  them,"  says  this  physi- 
cian, "and  I  shall  never  forget  the  scene  which  pre- 
sented itself  to  me.  The  heavens  were  sown  with 
stars,  the  moon  cast  its  silver  light  over  the  buildings 
around ;  the  old  man  happened  to  be  more  than  usual- 
ly inspired— I  could  have  fancied  myself  under  the 
porch  of  Athens.  It  was  delightful  to  hear  the  high 
sentences  of  wisdom  from  the  mouth  of  an  old  man 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OP  THE  POORER  CLASS.  235 

bowed  down  by  the  weight  of  years.  A  profound  calm 
reigned  in  the  hospital.  The  patients  were  permitted 
to  remain  listening  to  him,  although  the  statutes  re- 
quired that  they  should  retire  to  rest  at  determined 
hours.  After  fifteen  months  this  venerable  stranger 
died  in  the  hospital,  with  all  the  sentiments  of  a  de- 
vout Catholic.  His  memory  remained  in  great  venera- 
tion, and  as  often  as  any  patient  evinced  extraordi- 
nary resignation  and  courage,  the  usual  remark  was, 
he  is  like  Poor  Peter. ' ' 


III. 


A    FULL   AND   ENTIRE    RESIGNATION    OF    OURSELVES,    FOR 
OBTAINING  FREEDOM  OF  HEART. 

If  we  really  desire  to  be  happy  in  our  ministry, 
we  should  place  ourselves  wholly  into  the  hands  of 
God.  We  should  cherish  no  particular  desires.  We 
should  be  indifferent  as  to  the  place  where  we  are 
sent,  or  to  the  class  we  have  to  teach,  whether  it 
be  the  primary  or  the  advanced  class,  whether  the 
children  be  poor  or  rich,  dull  or  brilliant,  repulsive 
or  attractive.  We  should  be  calm  amid  all  these 
varying  vicissitudes.  Let  us  study  diligently  these 
words  of  Thomas  a  Kempis:  (!) 

"Christ.  Son,  leave  thyself  and  thou  shalt  find 
Me. 

"Stand  without  choice,  or  any  self-seeking,  and 
thou  shalt  always  gain. 

"For  greater  grace  shall  always  be  added  to  thee, 

(1)   The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  chap,  xxxvii. 


236    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

when  thou  hast  perfectly  given  up  thyself  without 
resuming  thyself  again. 

"Disciple.  Lord,  how  often  shall  I  resign  myself, 
and  in  what  things  shall  I  leave  myself? 

"Christ.  Always,  and  at  all  times;  as  in  little, 
so  also  in  great :  I  make  no  exception,  but  will  have 
thee  to  be  found  in  all  things  divested  of  thyself. 

''Otherwise  thou  canst  not  be  mine,  and  I  thine, 
unless  thou  be,  both  within  and  without,  freed  from 
all  self-will. 

"The  sooner  thou  effectest  this,  the  better  will  it 
be  for  thee;  and  the  more  fully  and  sincerely  thou 
dost  it,  the  more  wilt  thou  please  Me,  and  the  more 
shalt  thou  gain. 

"Some  there  are  that  resign  themselves,  but  it  is 
with  some  exception;  for  they  do  not  trust  wholly  to 
God,  and  therefore  are  busy  to  provide  for  them- 
selves. Some  also  at  the  first,  offer  all;  but  after- 
wards being  assaulted  by  temptation,  return  again 
to  what  they  left ;  and  therefore  they  make  no  progress 
in  virtue. 

"These  shall  not  attain  to  the  true  liberty  of  a 
pure  heart,  nor  to  the  grace  of  a  delightful  familiarity 
with  Me,  unless  they  first  entirely  resign  themselves 
up,  and  offer  themselves  a  daily  sacrifice  to  Me :  for, 
without  this,  divine  union  neither  is,  nor  will  be 
obtained. 

"I  have  often  said  to  thee,  and  I  repeat  it  now 
again :  forsake  thyself,  resign  thyself,  and  thou  shalt 
enjoy  a  great  inward  peace. 

"Give  all  for  all;  seek  nothing;  call  for  nothing 
back;  stand  purely,  and  wdth  a  full  confidence  in 
Me,  and  thou  shalt  possess  Me. 


PUPILS  ARE  ONLY  OF  THE  POORER  CLASS.  237 

"Thou  shall  be  at  liberty  within  thy  own  heart, 
and  darkness  shall  not  overwhelm  thee. 

"Aim  only  at  this,  pray  for  this,  desire  this,  that 
thou  mayest  be  divested  of  all  self-seeking,  and  thus, 
naked,  follow  thy  naked  Jesus,  that  thou  mayest  die 
to  thyself,  and  live  eternally  to  Me. 

"Then  all  vain  imaginations  shall  vanish,  all  evil 
disturbances  and  superfluous  cares. 

"Then  also  immoderate  fear  shall  leave  thee,  and 
inordinate  love  shall  die." 


SAINT  ANTHONY'S  SEMINARY 

CANITA     DADRADA       fAI    IP. 


238    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


TWELFTH  OBJECTION. 

THE  PUPILS  ARE  TOO  FEW  FOR  ME  TO  ACCOMPLISH  MUCH 
GOOD. 

"A  servant  with  this  clause 
Makes  drudgery  divine : 
Who  sweeps  a  room,  as  for  Thy  laws, 
Makes  that  and  th'  action  fine." — Herbert. 

It  is  indeed  singular  how  ingenious  self-love  is 
in  the  invention  of  plausible  arguments  in  the  at- 
tainment of  its  end.  Seemingly,  this  objection  is 
pressed  with  a  flourish  of  zeal,  whereas  it  is  prompted 
by  an  inordinate  zeal,  encouraged  by  a  secret  pride. 
The  Christian  teacher  who  is  actuated  by  the  motive 
of  seeking  God  alone  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  will 
unquestionably  not  presume  to  advance  any  such  spe- 
cious reasoning.  Guided  by  the  spirit  of  faith  and 
burning  with  a  true,  enlightened  zeal,  he  gives  him- 
self wholly  to  his  work,  and  is  not  concerned  whether 
the  pupils  be  few  or  many.  He  has  souls  to  save, 
to  instruct  in  the  way  of  salvation,  and  thereby 
advance  God's  honor  and  glory.  This  motive  coun- 
teracts all  adverse  circumstances,  and  he,  assisted  by 
grace,  is  prepared  to  accomplish  whatever  good  he 
can. 

Moreover,  the  teacher  is  not  supposed  to  create 
favorable  conditions,  but  to  accept  them  as  they  are 
offered  by  the  eternal  decree  of  God's  Providence. 
Does  the  husbandman  create  the  soil  he  is  to  cul- 


THE  PUPILS  ARE  TOO  FEW.  239 

tivate?  Without  murmuring  he  sets  to  work,  taking 
the  field  as  it  is,  assisting  it  if  poor  by  proper  fer- 
tilizers, and  then  awaits  patiently  the  result  of  his 
honest  labors.  Now,  the  Christian  teacher  finds  that 
his  intellectual  field  is  discouraging,  but  will  he 
on  that  account  repine  and  murmur?  If  he  be  the 
true  apostolic  man,  such  conditions  will  urge  and 
emulate  his  zeal  to  still  greater,  more  persistent  ef- 
forts, planting  and  watering,  leaving  the  increase 
and  productiveness  to  God,  the  Sovereign  Lord  of  all 
things.  Consequently,  nothing  daunts,  nothing  dis- 
courages, nothing  disconcerts,  for  he  is  assured  that 
his  motives  are  pure  and  disinterested,  and  hence 
God  will  not  fail  him  in  critical  moments. 

Now,  if  the  pupils  be  few  as  is  alleged,  why  are 
we  so  disheartened?  We  are  doing  God's  will,  and 
undoubtedly  we  will  not  claim  that  to  be  insignifi- 
cant! Perhaps,  we  are  precisely  the  teachers  for 
the  occasion,  and  therefore  best  fitted  to  attain  the 
end.  If  the  class  be  not  numerous  we  have  un- 
deniably better  opportunities  to  do  more  effective 
good,  for  then  we  can  devote  our  talents  and  display 
our  tact  with  greater  efficiency,  and  certainly  to  bet- 
ter advantage,  with  more  excellent  results.  May  the 
limited  number  of  pupils  be  possibly  ascribed  to  us? 
If  we  are  to  blame,  then  why  complain?  Rather  let 
us  enter  into  ourselves  and  know  ourselves  that  thus 
we  may  learn  the  cause  of  the  evil  and  knowing  it, 
take  the  means  to  remedy  it.  Perhaps  we  may  be 
too  harsh,  severe,  haughty,  and  governed  by  worldly 
principles,  wholly  at  variance  with  our  sublime  min- 
istry ;  or,  perhaps,  we  may  be  incompetent,  neglecting 


240    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

to  acquire  the  necessary  knowledge  or  to  give  that 
thorough  preparation  to  our  lessons  to  insure  interest 
and  attention. 

It  is  needless  to  affirm  that  under  such  conditions, 
the  Christian  teacher  will  not  attain  the  end  of  his 
ministry,  much  less  accomplish  any  good  or  achieve 
any  real  success.  As  moreover  he  has  not  acquired 
complete  control  over  himself,  his  influence  for  good 
in  the  class-room  may  be  greatly  diminished.  In 
fact,  he  may  become  a  scandal  and  stumbling-block 
to  the  pupils.  They  are  quick-witted  and  keen  and 
notice  his  defects.  They  will  chafe  under  his  dis- 
cipline; they  may  even  resent  and  despise  his  occa- 
sional necessary  rebukes.  "Physician,"  they  will  say, 
"heal  thyself."  How  can  one  expect  students,  guided 
and  taught  by  such  a  teacher,  to  take  pleasure  in  his 
teaching  and  to  find  delight  in  study?  Who  will 
blame  them  if  they  find  causes  for  withdrawing  from 
his  undesirable,  unwelcome  tutelage  ?  Let  the  teacher 
bear  these  hard  facts  and  unpalatable,  yet  wholesome 
truths  in  mind,  and  he  will  certainly  strive  to  root 
out  the  causes  of  his  failure,  he  will  cease  his  com- 
plaints, and  what  is  most  to  the  point,  he  will  endeavor 
to  make  honorable  amends. 

Indeed,  "our  charity,"  says  Alphonsus  Rodriguez, 
"may  and  ought  to  groan  and  lament  the  little  ef- 
fective good  we  can  accomplish ;  and  withal,  we  should 
not  become  discouraged  or  discontented.  Think  you, 
said  St.  Augustine,  that  the  Master  of  the  Feast, 
mentioned  in  the  Gospel,  when  he  is  apprised  that 
his  invitation  is  contemned,  will  upbraid  the  ser- 
vants who  tendered  the  invitation?  Assuredly  not; 


THE  PUPILS  ARE  TOO  FEW.  241 

their  mission  failed,  but  they  are  nevertheless  good 
and  faithful  servants  worthy  of  all  commendation. 
Did  they  not  fulfill  the  orders  they  had  received? 
If  the  invitations  were  not  honored,  no  blame  at- 
taches to  them,  but  must  be  attributed  wholly  to  those 
who  were  invited  and  upon  them  alone  will  fall  the 
just  anger  of  the  Master.  For  the  servants  were 
by  no  means  responsible  that  the  banquet-hall  re- 
mained empty,  and  they  will  be  rewarded  as  liberally 
as  if  the  invited  guests  had  eagerly  honored  it. 

"On  the  judgment-day  the  account  of  our  stew- 
ardship will  virtually  be  reduced  to  this  single  ques- 
tion, namely,  whether  we  have  done  all  in  our  power 
to  effect  the  conversion  of  souls?  That  they  may 
be  actually  converted,  should  therefore  be  the  object 
of  our  most  ardent  desires,  and  if  thus  converted, 
should  fill'  our  hearts  with  an  ineffable  joy  in  the 
Holy  Spirit.  "Withal,  we  must  not  forget  that  such 
a  result  is  God's  concern  and  not  ours.  It  is  our 
plain  and  simple  duty  to  announce  the  word  of  God 
to  those  entrusted  to  our  care.  Now,  as  each  one 
will  be  held  responsible  only  for  what  concerns  him 
personally,  we  shall  have  to  render  an  account  only 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  we  have  discharged  the 
duties  of  our  ministry,  whilst  the  children  will  be 
judged  as  to  the  profit  they  may 'have  drawn  there- 
from. 

"The  merit  and  goodness  of  our  actions  are  not 
dependent  upon,  or  measured  by  the  effect  produced 
in  others.  Here  is  applicable  precisely  the  same  rule 
as  in  meditation,  where  distraction  and  dryness  but 
increase  our  merit,  if,  despite  them,  we  persevere 
16 


242    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

therein.  For  what  satisfaction,  St.  Gregory  assures 
us,  and  consequently  what  a  powerful  motive  of  en- 
couragement for  the  preacher  who  perceives  his  words 
gathered  with  a  holy  avidity  by  the  immense  crowds 
that  everywhere  flock  to  hear  him  and  reap  the  fruits 
of  salvation  from  his  doctrine !  But,  on  the  con- 
trary, what  a  painful  trial,  and  hence,  how  dis- 
heartening to  the  apostolic  man,  who  is  forced  to 
witness  the  sterility  of  his  best  efforts;  to  admit  that 
his  voice  sounds  only  in  the  desert,  and  falls  on 
ears  deaf  to  the  things  of  God!  Now,  if  in  spite  of 
this  sterility  of  his  efforts,  the  preacher  still  continues 
to  exhort  with  the  same  ardor  as  if  all  had  profited  by 
his  instructions,  and  as  if  each  sermon  was  crowned 
with  a  brilliant  success,  it  would  undeniably  prove 
that  his  zeal  was  the  purest  and  that  he  labored  for 
God  alone,  without  having  the  least  thought  of  self 
in  his  laborious  ministry. 

"Now,  it  is  with  this  purity  of  zeal,  this  abnega- 
tion, and  disinterestedness  that  we  should  fulfill  the 
functions  of  our  holy  ministry.  Our  aim  should  be, 
not  the  obtaining  of  a  certain  fruit,  but  rather  the 
perfect  fulfillment  of  our  duty  and  the  complete 
accomplishment  of  God's  will,  who  does  not  actually 
demand  aught  else  of  us.  If  we  view  matters  from 
this  aspect,  nothing  can  disturb  us  nor  rob  us  of  the 
tranquillity  of  our  soul,  nor  of  the  calm  of  our  mind, 
nor  will  we  be  discouraged  or  disheartened,  as  it  so 
readily  happens  to  those  who  are  in  pursuit  of  suc- 
cess. ' ' 

"Then  on !    then  on !    where  duty  leads, 
My  course  shall  be  onward  still." — Heber. 


THE  PUPILS  ARE  TOO  FEW.  243 

TRUE  ZEAL  IS  NOT  DISCONCERTED  BECAUSE  IT  CAN  DO  GOOD 
ONLY  TO  A  FEW. 

It  occasionally  happened  that  during  the  missions 
which  St.  Francis  de  Sales  gave  in  Chablais,  the  ser- 
mons were  scantily  attended.  This  did  not,  however, 
prevent  the  apostolic  man  from  displaying  his  wonted 
ardor  and  zeal,  preaching  as  though  he  had  a  large, 
eager  audience  before  him.  At  one  time,  there  were 
but  seven  persons  present,  and  some  one  suggested 
to  him  that  it  was  hardly  worth  while  to  ascend  the 
pulpit.  "I  owe  them  instruction,"  rejoined  St. 
Francis ;  "it  matters  not  whether  the  congregation  be 
large  or  small.  And  even  though  there  should  be  but 
one  person  to  benefit  by  the  instruction,  I  would  still 
consider  it  an  obligation  to  preach. ' ' 

He.  preached,  therefore,  and  took  for  subject  of 
his  discourse:  The  invocation  of  the  saints  and  the 
honor  paid  to  relics  and  images.  While  he  was  thus 
expounding  the  true  doctrine  of  the  church  on  this 
subject,  and  refuting  the  objections  raised  by  heretics, 
one  of  his  hearers,  the  procurator  of  Thonon,  a  recent 
convert,  audibly  began  to  lament  and  weep.  St. 
Francis  who,  at  that  portion  of  his  discourse,  had  said 
nothing  calculated  to  move  any  one  to  tears,  presum- 
ing that  the  man  had  taken  suddenly  ill,  kindly  in- 
quired whether  he  could  be  of  any  assistance  to  him, 
and  offered  to  suspend  his  instruction.  "0,  no, 
Father,"  answered  the  procurator,  "continue  your 
instruction,  I  pray  you,  for  your  discourse  is  the 
remedy  I  require."  Hardly  had  the  discourse  ended, 
when  the  procurator  came  to  the  saint,  and,  throwing 


244    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

himself  upon  his  knees,  exclaimed:  "Father,  to-day 
you  have  restored  me  to  life ;  this  day  you  have  saved 
my  soul!  Blessed  be  the  hour  in  which  I  heard  you 
preach !  It  is  worth  an  eternity  to  me ! " 

He  then  related  to  the  audience,  that  a  Protestant 
minister  having  persuaded  him  that  the  worship  paid 
to  images  and  relics  by  Catholics,  was  pure  idolatry, 
he  had  pledged  himself  to  renounce  Catholicism  for 
the  second  time  on  the  following  Thursday;  but  that 
hearing  the  bell  announce  the  instruction  he  had  come 
to  the  church.  There  I  found  only  a  few  peasants 
gathered,  and  I  said  to  myself :  "If  Francis  preaches 
only  for  God,  then  he  will  give  his  instruction  even 
though  the  number  be  small ;  but  if  he  preaches  only 
for  his  own  glory,  then  he  will  disdain  the  insignifi- 
cant audience  gathered  to  hear  him,  and  refuse  to 
preach,  thus  giving  a  positive  proof  that  he  is  no 
better  than  a  mountebank,  who  seeks  every  oppor- 
tunity to  disseminate  falsehood.  I  have  been  simply 
dumbfounded  when  I  witnessed  the  zeal  with  which 
he  preached,  for  I  am  convinced  that  he  would  not 
have  discoursed  with  more  eloquence  and  unction 
if  the  Church  had  been  filled  to  the  utmost  of  its 
capacity.  Moreover,  the  instruction  cleared  away 
every  vestige  of  doubt,  leaving  my  mind  convinced 
of  the  truth  he  had  demonstrated." 

He  then  declared  frankly  that  he  abhorred  heart- 
ily the  engagement  he  had  made  with  the  Protestant 
minister,  and  publicly  proclaimed  his  perfect  obedi- 
ence and  submission  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

The  gentle  and  amiable  prelate  frequently  related 
this  incident  to  prove  that  the  small  number  of  hearers 


THE  PUPILS  ARE  TOO  FEW.  245 

does  not  and  should  not  excuse  from  preaching  the 
truths  of  our  holy  religion. 

Consequently,  whether  the  number  of  pupils  be 
few  or  many,  we  should  lator  with  the  same  earnest- 
ness and  zeal,  banish  all  thoughts  of  discouragement, 
and  rest  assured  tha*  God  will  bless  our  efforts  in 
proportion  as  they  are  actuated  by  a  pure  and  dis- 
interested motive. 

Heed  likewise  the  truthful  utterances  of  Thomas 
a  Kempis : 

"He  is  truly  great,  who  is  great  in  charity. 

"He  is  truly  great,  who  is  little  in  his  own  eyes, 
and  makes  no  account  of  the  height  of  honor. 

"He  is  truly  prudent,  who  looks  upon  all  earthly 
things  as  dung,  that  he  may  gain  Christ. 

"And  he  is  truly  learned  indeed,  who  does  the 
will  of  God,  and  renounces  his  own  will."  (1) 

(I)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Chapter  III.,  6. 


246    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

THIRTEENTH  OBJECTION. 

PARENTS  AND  CHILDREN  ARE  UNGRATEFUL. 

"I  hate  ingratitude  more  in  man, 
Than    lying,    vainness,    babbling,    drunkenness, 
Or  any  taint  of  vice." — Shakespeare. 

There  is  perhaps  no  failing  in  man  which  is  more 
keenly  felt  and  more  vigorously  reprobated  than  in- 
gratitude. Considered  then  from  a  merely  human 
standpoint,  the  teacher  may  have  a  just  cause  for  com- 
plaining, for  Ausonius  affirms  that  earth  produces 
nothing  worse  than  an  ungrateful  man.  And  an  un- 
grateful man,  writes  Seneca,  is  he  wrho  refuses  to  ac- 
knowledge a  favor  granted  him,  who  makes  little  of  it 
or  even  despises  it,  and  who  gives  nothing  in  return. 
Our  sensitive  nature  is  shocked  and  our  self-love  is 
deeply  wounded. 

But  viewed  according  to  the  light  of  faith,  this 
objection  gives  evidence  that  our  vanity  and  pride 
are  offended,  or  that  our  motives  are  altogether  too 
human.  For  it  is  natural  to  expect  that  our  services 
be  appreciated  and  our  benefits  acknowledged.  And 
yet,  the  true  Christian  teacher  looks  not  to  man  for 
his  reward,  and  hence  he  labors  with  a  pure  love  of 
God  and  disinterested  zeal,  striving  to  gain  souls  and 
to  lead  them  to  God.  He  is  wholly  indifferent  to  the 
praises  or  reproaches  of  man,  and  whether  or  not  his 
services  are  requited.  Eeason  assures  him  with 
Seneca  that  ingratitude  is  a  shameful  trait,  since  even 
the  ungrateful  complain  of  ingratitude. 


PARENTS  AND  CHILDREN  ARE  UNGRATEFUL.        247 

Moreover,  "evil  being  much  more  general  than 
good,"  in  the  words  of  Father  St.  Jure,  (1)  "and 
virtue  more  rare  than  vice,  there  are  also  many 
more  who  are  ungrateful  than  grateful.  To  be 
grateful,  virtue  is  needed;  to  be  ungrateful,  self- 
love  is  all  that  is  requisite Also, 

there  is  no  benefit  so  trifling  that  it  assumes  not  im- 
portance and  value  when  received  by  a  truly  grateful 
person.  A  reciprocal  feeling  of  kindness  at  once 
springs  up  between  the  giver  and  the  generous  person 
who  is  the  object  of  the  kind  action.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  are  natures  so  selfish,  small,  and  niggardly 
that  they  give  only  with  pain  and  reluctance.  Such 
persons  also  are  naturally  ungrateful,  since  they  are 
stinting  in  every  thing,  in  thanks  as  in  all  else.  As  to 
the  benefits  bestowed  on  them,  they  receive  them 
simply  as  their  due,  hence  never  dream  of  acknowledg- 
ing them." 

Now,  if  the  teacher  desires  the  child  to  be  grateful, 
he  should  teach  him  how  to  be  so,  for  that  is  one  of 
the  reasons  why  he  is  sent  to  school.  Our  experience 
is  that  children  are  generally  good-hearted,  and  if 
they  seemingly  appear  ungrateful,  it  is  to  be  ascribed 
to  ignorance  rather  than  perverseness  of  nature. 
They  must  be  taught  to  be  grateful.  This  is  an  essen- 
tial duty.  Consequently,  "to  exercise  gratitude  be- 
comingly," to  cite  the  same  author,  "and  to  avoid  the 
opposite  vice,  it  is  necessary  to  know  the  proper  man- 
ner of  giving  and  receiving  pleasure,  an  acquirement 
of  no  small  consequence.  One  can  never  hold  with  a 
good  heart  that  which  is  not  cheerfully  given,  but  as 


(1)   The  Religious. 


248    TELE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

constrained  and  extorted.  'A  pleasure  is  due  as  it  is 
made,'  says  Seneca,  and  for  this  reason  it  should  not 
be  bestowed  negligently,  but  with  affection  and  care. 
Let  us  give  as  we  would  wish  to  receive :  so  give  vol- 
untarily and  promptly,  give  cheerfully  and  without 
bargaining." 

The  Christian  teacher  should,  therefore,  not  mur- 
mur when  he  finds  the  children  ignorant  of  the  way 
of  returning  a  benefit,  or  even  if  they  do  not  give  evi- 
dence of  gratitude.  For  he  labors  not  for  man  but 
for  God,  and  God  is  not  ungrateful.  The  less  he  re- 
ceives from  men  the  more  he  has  the  right  to  expect 
from  Him  who  said:  Amen  I  say  to  you,  as  long  as 
you  did  it  to  one  of  these  My  least  brethren,  you  did 
it  to  Me.  (V 

And  now,  can  we  say  or  presume  that  we  ourselves 
have  never  been  ungrateful  to  God  for  all  His  bene- 
fits ?  Is  our  gratitude  wiiat  it  should  be  ?  God  ceases 
not  to  shower  His  graces  upon  us,  even  when  we  do 
not  appreciate  them.  This  thought  should  cause  us 
to  think  and  inspire  us  with  compassion  for  those  poor 
children  of  whom  we  are  now  complaining.  Let  us 
imitate  the  charming  example  of  our  Lord  and  sur- 
round them  with  greater  solicitude,  and  let  us  make 
all  due  allowance  for  frail  nature.  For,  if  we  con- 
tinue to  complain,  it  is  an  evident  proof  that  we  are 
laboring  for  self  and  our  own  pleasure  and  not  for 
God. 

When  the  ingratitude  of  man  afflicts  or  annoys  us, 
reflect  how  Jesus  Christ  was  treated  of  whom  it  is 


(1)  St.  Matt.,  xxv, 


PARENTS  AND  CHILDREN  ARE  UNGRATEFUL.        249 

written:  He  went  about  doing  good.(1>  ''Christ," 
says  Thomas  a  Kempis,  "underwent  a  great  want  of 
temporal  things;  He  frequently  heard  many  com- 
plaints against  Him;  He  meekly  bore  with  confusion 
and  reproaches ;  for  His  benefits,  He  received  ingrati- 
tude; for  His  miracles,  blasphemies;  and  for  His 
heavenly  doctrine,  reproofs."  (2) 

If  the  Master  was  treated  with  such  opprobrium, 
what  may  the  disciple  expect?  And  if  the  latter  is 
ill-treated,  what  right  has  he  to  complain?  Did  not 
our  Lord  predict  persecution  for  His  Apostles? 

We  should  purify  and  rectify  our  motives,  seek 
only  the  glory  of  God,  and  we  will  be  less  annoyed 
and  wounded  by  the  ingratitude  of  our  pupils  or 
their  parents.  Let  us  remember  our  own  conduct 
toward  God,  and  this  thought  will  help  us  to  bear 
patiently  with  the  ingratitude  of  men. 

0  how  happy  we  would  then  be !  How  our  labors 
would  be  blessed  by  God !  What  recompense  we  would 
merit,  if  we  could,  like  all  truly  apostolic  men,  adopt 
this  motto : 

Self -immolation  be  my  sole  recompense! 
Take  heed  also  of  these  words  of  the  poet : 

"Comfort,  dear  mother ;  God  is  much  displeased 
That  you  take  with   unthankfulness  his  doing : 
In  common  worldly  things  'tis  called  ungrateful."  (3) 


(1)   Acts,  x,  38.      (2)   Bk.  HI.,  c.  xviii. 
(3)  Shakespeare,  Richard  III.,  Act,  II. 


250    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


I. 


THE  INGRATITUDE  OF  CHILDREN  SHOULD  NOT  PRECLUDE 
A  TEACHER'S  LOVE  FOR  THEM. 

Bishop  Dupanloup  had  undoubtedly  great  exper- 
ience in  the  education  of  children.  For  years  he  was 
the  Rector  of  a  Preparatory  Seminary.  He  is  an  ac- 
knowledged authority  on  educational  matters,  and, 
therefore,  his  opinion  on  the  ingratitude  of  children 
should  have  some  weight. 

"Gratitude  is  a  rare  virtue,  especially  in  chil- 
dren," observes  this  eminent  authority.  "Indeed,  it 
is  even  so  rare  that  ingratitude  ceases  to  be  the  vice 
of  the  few.  It  may  even  be  regarded  as  almost  an 
ordinary  failing  of  humanity.  It  is,  at  least,  the  com- 
mon vice  of  all  natures  that  lead  a  life  of  instinct. 

"Hence,  aware  of  its  universality,  I  have  never 
been  inclined  to  reproach  any  special  individual  or 
individuals  with  this  deplorable  vice.  We  have  merely 
to  read  the  letters  of  children  to  their  parents.  Who 
has  not  been  forcibly  struck  by  the  infrequency  of 
words,,  expressive  of  respect  and  gratitude  in  these 
familiar  communications!  It  is  rare  when  a  child 
expresses  his  gratitude  to  his  parents  in  such  letters. 
Can  the  teacher  then  naturally  presume  to  be  better 
treated  ? 

"Gratitude,  therefore,  or  that  intelligent,  appre- 
ciative and  grateful  acknowledgment  of  the  benefits 
conferred  or  of  services  rendered,  is  not  a  virtue  which 
we  should  expect  from  children.  They  will  never  give 
any  evidence  of  it,  unless  it  be  at  the  end  of  their 


PARENTS  AND  CHILDREN  ARE  UNGRATEFUL.       251 

course Withal,  I  affirm  that  we  must 

gain  their  friendship,  and,  if  possible,  also  their  es- 
teem and  admiration. 

"For  friendship,  esteem,  and  admiration  seem  to 
be  much  more  congenial  and  natural  to  child-nature 
than  gratitude.  They  readily  and  freely  admire  what 
is  great  and  generous.  They  will  cheerfully  and 
willingly  love  those  who  love  them.  And  as  to  the 
annoyance  and  care  which  they  cause  us,  it  is  alto- 
gether foreign  to  their  youthful  calculations.  It  never 
enters  their  minds.  Moreover,  we  should  not  forget 
that  the  benefits  for  which  we  wish  them  to  be  grate- 
ful, annoy  and  disconcert  them,  whilst  they  constrain 
them  to  work  and  subject  them  to  discipline.  For, 
we  must  needs  remember  that  the  immense  services 
which  we  render  them  are  in  their  eyes  a  yoke  or  a 
species  of  captivity.  Friendship  alone  with  its  tender 
offices,  the  friendship  of  their  schoolmates  and  of  their 
teachers,  has  the  power  of  making  this  captivity  and 
yoke  bearable  and  light.  Hence  the  reason  that  they 
become  so  amenable  when  they  know  and  feel  that 
they  are  loved.  Their  young  hearts  are  very  keen 
and  sensible  to  this  friendship.  Every  other  thought 
is  of  no  consequence  to  them. 

"Lastly,  I  may  add  that  despite  their  ingratitude 
and  their  other  defects,  children  are  attractive  and 
lovable.  I  would  almost  say  that  they  are  the  only 
lovable  creatures  on  earth,  for  they  alone  are  candid 
and  open-hearted;  even  in  their  failings  they  are 
still  true,  natural,  ingenuous,  and  sincere. 

"Personally,  I  have  loved  children  much,  and  it 
is  an  open  secret  that  I  still  continue  to  love  them. 


252    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Aye,  they  are  my  first,  and  they  shall  be  my  last,  love 
on  earth. 

' '  And,  I  shall  intentionally  repeat :  What  is  there 
on  earth  to  love  if  we  do  not  love  them  ? ' ' 


II. 


THE  TEACHER  WHO  TRULY  LOVES  HIS  PUPILS,  COMMANDS 
ORDINARILY  THEIR  GRATITUDE. 

The  illustrious  Gerson,  although  Chancellor  of  the 
University  of  Paris,  assumed  the  functions  of  Cate- 
chist  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  Lyons.  During  one  of  his 
charming  and  familiar  instructions,  he  thus  expressed 
himself : 

"My  dear  children,  come  to  me  and  listen  to  the 
words  of  the  tenderest  of  fathers,  the  dearest  of 
friends.  Come  and  do  not  be  afraid  or  timid,  for  I 
come  to  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  to  bring  you  the 
words  of  salvation.  Nay  come  to  me  in  all  confidence 
and  you  shall  find  nothing  to  repel  you,  for  the  pleas- 
ure I  feel  in  speaking  to  you  shall  be  reflected  in  my 
countenance.  I  will  give  you  the  milk  of  Christian 
Doctrine,  and  you  shall,  by  your  prayers,  open  for  me 
the  gates  of  heaven.  You  shall  intercede  in  my  behalf 
with  your  good  guardian  angels  who  ever  behold  the 
face  of  your  heavenly  Father. 

' '  You  will  find  favor  for  me  with  the  Sacret  Heart 
of  Jesus  who  loved  little  ones  so  much  and  who  also 
loves  those  who  are  interested  in  their  welfare.  Thus 


PAEENTS  AND  CHILDREN  ARE  UNGRATEFUL.       253 

we  will  receive  our  recompense  in  heaven :  I  by  teach- 
ing you  the  way  of  salvation,  and  you  by  faithfully 
following  my  instructions.  The  tender  Bonds  of  char- 
ity will  unite  us  to  Jesus  Christ  on  earth  and  will 
lead  us  to  the  ineffable  joys  reserved  for  us  in  our 
heavenly  home.  There  we  shall  forever  love  one  an- 
other, bless  and  glorify  God,  the  tender  and  loving 
Father  of  little  children.  There  we  shall  likewise 
realize  for  eternity  those  sweet  words  of  the  Saviour : 
Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  for  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  God."  W 

Gerson,  in  his  last  illness,  received  a  very  touching 
proof  of  the  gratitude  of  these  children.  He  was  ap- 
prised that  these  little  ones,  deprived  of  their  friend 
and  father,  went  every  day  to  St.  Paul's  Church  to 
pray  for  him.  Here  in  this  Church,  where  they  had 
listened  to  so  many  simple  and  beautiful  instructions, 
these  dear  children,  on  bended  knees  before  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  poured  out  their  fervent  prayers 
to  the  God  of  Love.  Among  other  prayers  they  in- 
cluded this  one  which  the  Chancellor  had  taught 
them :  0  God,  My  Creator,  have  mercy  on  the  soul  of 
Thy  poor  servant,  John  Gerson. 

This  should  induce  us  to  love  children  and  encour- 
age us  to  do  all  the  good  we  can.  For  by  their  prayers 
which  are  certainly  all-powerful  with  God,  they  will 
repay  us  a  hundredfold  for  all  the  care  we  have 
lavished  upon  them.  Even  should  we  not  have  the 
pleasure  of  witnessing  their  gratitude,  we  will  have 
the  great  consolation  at  the  hour  of  death  of  knowing 
how  sweet  and  delightful  it  is  to  have  directed  and 
guided  our  pupils  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

(1)  St.  Mark,  x,  1^. 


254    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"0  Christian  teacher!"  exclaims  Father  Crasset, 
"strive  to  merit  this  incomparable  recompense  by  the 
ardor  and  purity  of  your  zeal !  What  sweet  consola- 
tions will  be  experienced  at  the  moment  of  death  by 
the  religious  when  he  beholds  coming  to  his  aid  those 
souls  whom  he  has  helped  to  save !  It  is  related  of  a 
good  Franciscan  that  when  dying,  he  saw  himself 
surrounded  by  no  less  than  sixty  thousand  souls  whose 
eternal  salvation  he  had  been  instrumental  in  secur- 
ing during  his  life-time."  (1) 


III. 

THE  LOVE  OP  ST.  FRANCIS  DE  SALES  FOR  HIS  TEACHER. 

Father  Deage  was  the  first  teacher  of  St.  Fran- 
cis de  Sales.  This  virtuous  ecclesiastic  followed  Fran- 
cis everywhere  like  a  visible  guardian  angel.  He  loved 
him  ardently.  His  vigilance  was  not  relaxed  even 
after  Francis  had  become  Bishop,  and  he  apprised 
him  of  the  least  imperfection  which  he  chanced  to 
observe.  It  was  his  highest  ambition  to  behold,  in 
his  pupil,  a  perfect  man  who  should  be  honored  and 
admired  by  all.  He  desired  him  moreover  to  be  above 
all  censure. 

The  Bishop,  touched  by  such  constant  devotion  and 
affection,  neglected  no  opportunity  to  show  his  teach- 
er respect  and  honor.  He  made  him  a  canon  of 
his  cathedral,  admitted  him  to  his  house  and  table, 

(1)  Discours  sur  I'Instruction  de  la  Jeunesse. 


PARENTS  AND  CHILDREN  ARE  UNGRATEFUL.        255 

and  scrupulously  and  delicately  attended  to  all  his 
wants  whether  in  health  or  sickness.  And  when  Fran- 
cis observed  that  his  teacher  was  afflicted  by  a  disease 
that  would  soon  bring  him  to  his  grave,  he  watched 
over  him  to  his  last  breath  and  lavished  upon  him 
a  care  which  love  alone  could  inspire.  After  his  de- 
mise, the  genial  Prelate  held  the  obsequies  in  the 
Cathedral  and  celebrated  the  Mass,  ordering  many 
more  masses  to  be  said  for  the  repose  of  his  teacher's 
soul  throughout  the  diocese.  This  was  not  however 
sufficient  to  satisfy  his  love  for  him  whom  he  loved 
so  much. 

He  himself  offered  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass 
for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  his  dear  teacher.  M. 
Hamon  in  his  Life  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales  assures  us 
that  the  first  time  Francis  offered  the  Mass  for  the 
dear  departed,  his  sorrow  was  so  intense  that  he 
could  not  repress  his  sighs  and  tears.  And  when 
Francis  had  come  to  the  Pater  Noster,  he  was  obliged 
to  interrupt  it,  owing  to  the  great  grief  he  experi- 
enced, and  he  continued  it  only  a'mid  a  constant  flow 
of  tears. 

Being  alone  in  his  room  after  the  Mass,  the  Chap- 
lain endeavored  to  console  him.  ' '  Ah ! ' '  rejoined  the 
Saint,  "that  dear  soul  is  blessed  where  he  is!  Oh! 
he  does  not  wish  to  be  here !  He  is  now  in  the  arms  of 
God's  mercy  and  clemency;  he  reposes  like  another  St. 
John  on  the  loving  breast  of  Jesus  Christ.  Do  you 
desire  to  know  the  cause  of  shedding  such  abundant 
tears  when  I  commenced  the  Pater  Noster?  It  was  the 
thought  of  that  truly  good  man,  for  he  was  the  first 
to  teach  me  the  Pater  Noster." 


256    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Thus  it  will  be  with  many  good  pupils  whom  we 
instructed.  Their  minds  and  hearts  will  turn  to- 
wards their  zealous  teachers  who  had  first  directed 
them  to  virtuous  habits.  Apply  these  truthful  words 
of  Quintilian:  In  almost  everything,  experience  is 
more  valuable  than  precept. 

And  Thomas  a  Kempis  teaches  wisely:  "Thou 
wilt  soon  be  deceived,  if  thou  only  regard  the  outward 
show  of  men. 

' '  For  if  thou  seek  thy  comfort  and  thy  gain  in  oth- 
ers, thou  wilt  often  meet  with  loss. 

"If  in  all  things  thou  seek  Jesus,  doubtless  thou 
wilt  find  Jesus. 

"But  if  thou  seek  thyself,  thou  wilt  indeed  find 
thyself,  but  to  thine  own  ruin. 

' '  For  a  man  does  himself  more  harm  if  he  seek  not 
Jesus,  than  the  whole  world  and  all  his  enemies  would 
be  able  to  do  him. "  <i) 


(1)   The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  II,  Chapt.  VII,  3. 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH.  257 

FOURTEENTH  OBJECTION. 

TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH. 

"May  be  he  is  not  well : 
Infirmity    does    still    neglect    all    office, 
Whereto  our  health  is  bound." — Shakespeare. 

There  is  no  occupation  or  profession  which  can 
claim  perfect  immunity  from  the  accidents  of  life 
whether  proximate  or  remote.  These  are  entirely 
beyond  man 's  control.  For  we  are,  in  a  great  measure, 
controlled  or  influenced  by  circumstances.  This  is  a 
truism.  A  little  accident  in  the  affairs  of  life  of 
some  men  may  be  productive  of  great  and  lasting 
results.  Trifling  circumstances  have  had  the  effect 
of  converting  the  most  ambitious  and  domineering 
men  and  women  into  the  humble  and  meek  monks 
or  nuns;  they  have  changed  the  course  of  empires 
and  the  destiny  of  nations.  They  may  have  been 
insignificant  in  themselves,  but  mighty  in  their  conse- 
quences. Hence  to  attempt  to  control  the  accidents 
of  life,  as  health  or  sickness  and  the  like,  is  certainly 
bordering  on  presumption. 

Moreover,  this  objection  gives  every  evidence  that 
the  Christian  teacher  is  not  actuated  by  that  heroic, 
self-sacrificing  spirit  which  made  martyrs  and  apos- 
tolic men.  It  likewise  savors  of  indolence  and  love  of 
ease,  two  serious  faults  springing  from  self-love.  Now, 
the  Christian  teacher  never  dreams  of  self,  and  hence 
he  has  no  thought  about  his  health,  leaving  that 
17 


258    THE  YOUNG   CIJKISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

wholly  to  God's  fatherly  Providence.  His  life  is 
to  do,  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  the  saving  of  souls. 
lie  has  learned  the  salutary  lesson  taught  by  the 
gentle  Saviour  who  declared  that  whosoever  will  save 
his  life,  shall  lose  it;  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life 
for  my  sake  and  the  Gospel  shall  save  it.  (*)  This  was 
and  is  ever  the  guiding  principle  of  all  true  Christian 
heroes,  as  the  great  Apostle  of  nations  fully  illus- 
trates. 

"VVe  read  in  Ecclesiasticus  that  health  of  the  soul 
in  holiness  of  justice  is  better  than  all  gold  and  sil- 
ver  There  is  no  pleasure  above  the 

joy  of  the  heart In  all  thy  works  be 

quick;  and  no  infirmity  shall  come  to  thee.  (2)  And 
again  in  St.  Matthew:  Be  not  solicitous,  therefore, 
saying :  What  shall  we  eat,  what  shall  ive  drink,  or 
wherewith  shall  we  be  clothed?  For  after  all  these 
tilings  do  the  heathen  seek.  For  your  Father  knoiv- 
cth  that  you  have  need  of  all  these  things.  (3)  .  .  . 
Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing  and  not  one 
of  them  shall  fall  on  the  ground  without  your  Father. 
But  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  numbered.  Fear 
not,  therefore,  you  are  of  more  value  than  many  spar- 
rows. (Jl)  St.  Peter  also  teaches  us  this  useful  les- 
son: Be  you  humbled,  therefore,  under  the  mighty 
hand  of  God;  that  He  may  exalt  you  in  the  time 
of  visitation:  casting  all  your  solicitude  upon  Him; 
for  He  hath  care  of  you.  <5) 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  who  so  admirably  practised 
this  saving  doctrine  of  Christ,  has  some  pertinent 

(1)  St.  Mark,  viii,  35.     (2)  c.  xxx,  15,  16;  c.  xxxi,  27. 
(S)  St.  Matt.,  vi,  31,  32.     (4)  Ibid,  c.  x,  29,    SO,  SI. 
(5)  I.  St.  Peter,  v,  6,  7. 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH.  259 

words  on  this  subject.  To  such  as  were  too  anxious 
for  the  preservation  of  their  health  and  fearful  that 
the  missions  might  shorten  their  days,  he  answered: 
"But  is  it  then  a  misfortune  for  him  who  travels 
in  a  foreign  country,  to  advance  in  his  way,  and 
to  approach  his  own  shores?  Is  it  a  misfortune  for 
the  traveler  to  near  his  port  ?  Is  it  a  misfortune  for 
the  faithful  soul  to  see  and  possess  God?  Lastly, 
is  it  a  misfortune  for  missionaries  to  go  so  soon  to 
enjoy  the  glory  that  their  Divine  Master  has  merited 
for  them  by  His  sufferings  and  death?  What!  are 
we  afraid  to  see  that  come  which  we  can  not  sufficient- 
ly desire,  and  which  always  comes  too  late  ? 

"For  that  immoderate  solicitude  for  preserving 
health,  and  that  excessive  fear  of  suffering  some  in- 
convenience, which  we  observe  in  some,  which  fixes 
all  their  attention  on  the  care  of  a  paltry  life,  are 
great  hindrances  to  the  service  of  God,  and  prevent 
them  from  freely  following  Jesus  Christ.  O  my 
brethren,  we  are  the  disciples  of  this  Divine  Saviour, 
and  yet  He  finds  us  bound  in  chains,  as  so  many 

slaves!  To  what?  To  a  little  health 0, 

my  Saviour !  grant  us  the  grace  to  divest  ourselves  of 
ourselves,  make  us,  we  beseech  Thee,  to  hate  our- 
selves, so  that  we  may  love  Thee  more  perfectly. 
Thou  who  art  the  source  of  all  perfection,  and  the 
mortal  enemy  of  sensuality,  give  us  the  spirit  of  mor- 
tification and  the  grace  always  to  resist  self-love, 
the  root  of  all  sensuality."  (1) 

An  implacable  enemy  to  sensuality,  he  combated 
the  very  semblance  of  it.  "There  is  no  vice,"  said 

(1)  M.  Collet,  Esprit  do  8.  Vincent  de  Paul,  c.  xxvi. 


260    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

he,  "more  opposed  to  the  spirit  that  should  animate 
you,  and  better  suited  to  make  you  lose  a  relish  of  your 
duties.  A  missionary  should  live  as  if  he  had  no 
body,  and  fear  neither  heat  nor  cold,  sickness  nor 
hunger,  nor  any  of  the  miseries  of  life.  He  should 
esteem  himself  happy  to  suffer  something  for  Jesus 
Christ,  and  if  he  shuns  troubles,  labor  and  incon- 
veniences, he  is  unworthy  of  his  name,  and  can  ac- 
complish nothing.  A  small  number  of  priests  who 
have  renounced  themselves  and  their  gratifications, 
will  effect  more  than  a  number  of  others  who  fear 
nothing  more  than  to  enfeeble  their  health.  The  lat- 
ter believe  themselves  wise.  Miserable  is  he  who  flies 
the  cross,  for  he  will  find  such  heavy  crosses  that  they 
will  overwhelm  him!"  (l) 

Now,  it  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  while  some 
may  be  found  who  are  altogether  too  fastidious  re- 
garding health,  there  are  others  who  compromise  it 
through  a  lack  of  reasonable  care.  In  this  cate- 
gory we  may  place  those  who  possess  a  nervous  tem- 
perament and  an  impetuous  zeal.  These  are  ordi- 
narily of  a  fretful  disposition  and  live  always  in  dread 
of  being  backward  in  their  work,  whether  in  class  or 
elsewhere.  They  are  lacking  in  an  enlightened  zeal. 
Hence  they  undermine  their  health,  for  nothing  is 
so  detrimental  to  their  nervous  system  as  the  fear 
of  not  having  accomplished  all  the  work  which  they 
imagine  should  have  been  done.  The  remedy  for 
such  characters  is  to  remain  perfectly  calm,  and  to 
be  satisfied  with  a  reasonable  amount  of  work.  Na- 
ture must  never  be  overworked.  This  is  the  other 

I)  Ibid.  c.  xxvi. 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH.  261 

extreme  and  is  equally  to  be  condemned.    They  should 
be  guided  solely  by  prudence  and  obedience. 

Again,  with  some  there  is  a  kind  of  restless  activ- 
ity, which  may  also  spring  from  self-love.  Thus  they 
will  never  allow  any  one  to  replace  them,  even  though 
nature  demands  a  rest.  This  may,  however,  be 
prompted  by  a  generous  motive,  but  which  does  not  on 
that  account  improve  the  condition  of  things.  For 
these  characters,  ever  attentive  and  considerate  toward 
their  fellow-religious,  do  not  wish  to  impose  any  ad- 
ditional labor  upon  them,  lest  they  be  fatigued  and 
perhaps  sink  under  the  burden.  Such  teachers  are 
to  be  commended  for  their  delicacy  of  feeling,  but 
prudence  and  common  sense  would  dictate  to  them 
to  relinquish  their  post,  when  others  are  both  will- 
ing and  able  to  assist.  This  makes  the  burden  light 
and  agreeable,  and  the  work  is  accomplished  without 
detriment  to  health.  Willing  and  cheerful  hands 
experience  no  fatigue,  for  disinterested  love  prompts 
the  act.  The  poet  expresses  this  thought  beautifully  : 

"Could  we  forbear  dispute,  and  practise  love, 
We  should  agree,  as  angels  do  above."  (1) 

There  are  others  again  who  presume  on  their 
health  and  consequently  abuse  it,  because  they  have 
never  known  any  illness.  Hence  they  needlessly  ex« 
pose  themselves,  and  if  they  chance  to  escape  without 
paying  the  penalty  for  their  rashness,  they  imagine 
themselves  authorized  to  venture  it  at  another  time. 

Now,  let  us  steer  clear  of  this  two- fold  danger: 
the  temptation  to  be  too  fastidious  and  the  impulse 
of  a  rash  temperament.  Let  us  observe  rather  the 

(1)    Waller,  Divine  Love. 


262    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

golden  mean  relative  to  health,  not  however  for  any 
personal  motive,  but  for  God  and  the  salvation  of 
souls. 

For  the  Christian  teacher  no  longer  lives  for  him- 
self but  for  others.  Consequently,  the  moment  that 
he  consecrated  himself  to  God,  he,  that  instant,  re- 
linquished all  his  rights  and  privileges,  that  is,  not 
only  his  liberty,  will,  and  intellect,  but  even  his  body 
and  its  health,  nay,  life  itself.  These  forces  are 
no  longer  at  his  command,  for  religion  has  un- 
reservedly acquired  their  possession.  The  Congre- 
gation, like  a  loving  mother,  then  claims  her  child 
by  every  right  and  title,  and  she  henceforth  guides 
and  directs  him,  assigning  him  whatever  function 
she  deems  proper.  He  should,  therefore,  be  a  docile 
instrument  in  her  hands.  The  lawful  superiors  who 
are  now  the  guardians  of  the  child  placed  under  their 
paternal  care,  will  see  that  he  is  employed  according 
to  his  strength  and  ability.  Hence  the  Christian 
teacher  should  humbly  bend  to  the  yoke  and  cheer- 
fully carry  the  burden  placed  upon  his  shoulders. 

Now,  the  Christian  teacher  who  is  thoroughly  im- 
bued with  these  high  aspirations  of  faith,  will  be  in- 
different as  to  his  employment.  It  matters  not  wheth- 
er he  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  multiplicity  of 
occupations  or  is  relegated  to  a  life  of  seeming  inac- 
tivity. It  matters  not  whether  he  may  be  called  into 
active  service  or  condemned  to  what  may  appear 
a  useless  employment.  Lastly,  it  matters  not  wheth- 
er he  be  allowed  to  enjoy  in  old  age  the  repose  he  so 
justly  merited  by  a  life  of  fruitful  labor  or  succumb 
to  premature  death.  He  has  no  other  thought  but 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH.  263 

the  will  of  God.  That  is  his  whole  purpose  and 
aim  in  life.  His  time  is  no  longer  his  own;  his 
very  life  belongs  to  another. 

If  the  Christian  teacher  has  acquired  this  holy 
indifference,  he  is  as  pliable  in  the  hands  of  the 
heavenly  Master  as  clay  on  the  potter's  wheel.  Then 
will  he,  like  another  Stanislaus,  smile  at  the  ap- 
proach of  an  expected  death;  or,  raising  himself  on 
his  couch,  cry  out  with  St.  Martin :  0  Lord,  if  I  can 
still  be  useful,  I  do  not  refuse  to  work. 

Then,  too,  will  the  Christian  teacher  be  ready  to 
exclaim  with  Epictetus :  ' '  Dare  look  up  to  God,  and 
say :  Deal  with  me  in  the  future  as  Thou  wilt.  I  am 
of  the  same  mind  as  thou  art.  I  am  Thine;  I  refuse 
nothing  that  pleases  Thee;  lead  me  where  Thou  wilt." 
And  with  Elizabeth  Browning: 

"No  earthly  friend  being  near  mo,  interpose 
No  deathly  angel  'twixt  my  face  and  Thine, 
But  stoop  Thyself  to  gather  my  life's  rose, 
And  smile  away  mortal  to  Divine." 


I. 

ST.  IGNATIUS'  SPIRITUAL  VIEW  OP  HEALTH. 

"The  saintly  Founder  urgently  insisted,"  ob- 
serves Alphonsus  Rodriguez,  "that  all  the  members 
of  his  Society  should  acquire  the  spirit  of  holy  in- 
difference and  perfect  conformity  to  God's  will.  He 
taught  them,  therefore,  to  be  indifferent  as  to  the 
place  and  house  in  which  they  were  to  live.  So 
eminent  and  perfect  was  to  be  this  resignation  that  no 


264    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

influence,  not  even  the  consideration  of  health,  should 
sway  them  or  induce  them  to  desire  a  change.  He 
affirms  that  it  is  our  vocation  and  according  to  our 
Constitution  to  go  wherever  our  superiors  shall  deem 
proper  to  send  us,  and  where  we  will  be  able  to  pro- 
cure and  promote  God's  glory  and  labor  advantage- 
ously for  our  neighbor's  good.  But,  if  it  be  found 
by  experience  that  a  certain  climate  should  prove 
detrimental  to  the  physical  constitution  of  any  mem- 
ber, then  it  devolves  upon  the  superior  to  take  cog- 
nizance of  it.  If  the  superior  should  judge  it  ad- 
visable to  send  him  to  a  more  congenial  climate, 
where  he  is  apt,  in  consequence,  to  effect  a  great 
good  in  the  service  of  God  and  his  neighbor,  then 
he  is  simply  complying  through  obedience.  Withal, 
it  is  not  the  function  of  the  inferior  thus  afflicted 
or  inconvenienced,  he  insists,  to  request  his  removal 
or  to  evince  any  inclination  or  desire  for  such  a 
change,  but  he  must  remain  content  to  leave  the  mat- 
ter wholly  atwl  absolutely  to  the  superior's  judg- 
ment. 

1 '  This  prescription  of  our  Constitution  imposes  upon 
us  no  difficult  obligation.  It  is,  doubtless,  intended 
as  a  test  of  our  spirit  of  self-abnegation.  For,  per- 
ceiving that  our  health  is  compromised  and  daily  de- 
clining, we  must  nevertheless  not  only  refrain  from 
requesting  a  change  of  climate,  but  even  repress 
every  evidence  of  desire  for  such  an  amelioration  of 
our  condition.  Hence,  when  it  is  question  of  going 
to  missions  for  the  purpose  of  converting  the  heathen 
or  infidel,  we  are  allowed  to  make  known  our  desires, 
provided  it  be  done  with  perfect  submission,  and 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  'HEALTH.  265 

then  leave  it  absolutely  in  the  hands  of  our  superior. 
But  we  do  not,  however,  enjoy  the  same  privilege 
concerning  our  health,  for  it  is  not  permitted  us 
either  to  demand  this  change  of  climate  or  to  mani- 
fest the  least  desire  therefor.  The  only  right  we 
have,  under  such  conditions  according  to  our  Con- 
stitution, is  to  inform  the  superior.  The  inferior 
having  thereby  fulfilled  his  obligation,  it  now  be- 
comes the  superior's  concern.  Should  it  happen  then 
that  the  inferior  be  left  where  he  is,  although  utterly 
incapable  of  accomplishing  any  good,  he  should  look 
upon  it  as  being  more  profitable  for  himself  and  for 
God's  greater  glory  to  remain.  It  is  not  the  in- 
ferior's province  to  judge,  but  the  superior's,  who 
governs  in  God's  place.  The  inferior  should  place 
himself  completely  at  the  superior's  disposal,  being 
fully  assured  that  whatever  is  thus  ordered  concern- 
ing him  is  most  conducive  to  God's  service  and  his 
own  individual  good.  How  many  people  do  we  not 
find  living  in  remote  countries,  whose  climate  may 
not  be  beneficial  to  their  health,  but  who  have  never- 
theless to  remain  there  and  work  out  their  liveli- 
hood! How  many  cross  the  seas,  or  go  to  Constan- 
tinople, or  to  Africa,  or  to  the  Indies,  and  who  risk 
not  only  their  health,  but  even  their  life,  merely 
on  account  of  some  business  advantage  or  temporal 
gain!  Should  it  then  be  astonishing  that  we  who 
have  consecrated  ourselves  unreservedly  to  God's  ser- 
vice, should  perform  for  love  of  Him  and  through 
obedience,  what  men  of  the  world  do  for  the  sake 
of  lucre  or  temporal  interests? 

"Suppose  then  that  we  should  chance  to  imagine 


266    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

that  the  physical  indisposition  which  afflicts  us  is 
due  to  climate,  that  it  would  render  us  unavailable 
and  that  we  would  do  much  more  in  God's  service 
elsewhere,  let  us  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  better  for  us 
to  remain  where  we  are.  "We  have,  at  least,  the  con- 
solation of  knowing,  though  unprofitable  where  we 
are,  that  we  are  acting  conformably  to  God's,  will. 
This  is  infinitely  better  than  to  perform  good  by 
following  our  own  inclinations  and  desires.  We  must 
conform  ourselves,  therefore,  to  the  Divine  Will,  and 
remember  that  in  God's  inscrutable  designs  we  are 
where  we  should  be  and  where  He  wishes  us  to  be." 


II. 

THE    HEROIC    ST.    LOUIS   BERTRAND. 

"From  the  moment  of  his  ordination  to  tho 
priesthood,"  writes  the  Rev:  Stephen  Bryne,  (1)  "the 
thought  of  martyrdom  was  constantly  before  him. 
The  fire  which  charity  enkindled  in  his  soul,  caused 
him  to  look  upon  all  occasions  of  suffering  and  dying 
only  as  so  many  graces  that  it  would  be  sinful  to  neg- 
lect. Hence  he  demanded  nothing  with  so  much  ar- 
dor as  to  have  the  opportunity  of  shedding  his  blood 
for  the  sake  of  Him  who  gave  His  own  life  for 
man's  salvation.  His  daily  prayer  Avhile  celebrating 
Mass  was :  Give  me,  0  Lord!  to  die  for  Thee,  as  Thou 
hast  willed  to  die  for  Me! 

"As  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  which  has 

(1)    Sketches   of  Illustrious   Dominicans, 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH  2G7 

always  been  a  special  mark  of  his  character,  now 
became  stronger  than  ever,  he  desired,  at  the  age 
of  thirty  to  combine  with  his  other  labors  that  of 
the  apostolic  ministry.  Efforts  were  made  to  thwart 
him  in  his  design.  His  poor  health,  and  even  his 
special  unfitness  for  the  function  of  preaching,  were 
strongly  urged.  The  office  in  which  he  was  doing  so 
much  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  his  order, 
seemed  to  require  his  exclusive  attention.  Severe  at- 
tacks of  sickness  also  were  not  unusual;  and  if  ho 
did  not  succumb  altogether  to  his  infirmities  it  was 
attributed  to  his  spirit  of  fervor,  his  courage,  or, 
more  likely,  to  a  species  of  miracle.  His  voice  was 
neither  strong  nor  agreeable.  All  these  circum- 
stances conspired  to  impress  upon  his  superiors  and 
friends  the  idea,  that  instead  of  quickly  spending 
himself  in  work  beyond  his  powers,  he  ought  rather 
to  continue  the  work  of  forming  good  and  holy  men 
who  would  be  able  to  bear  the  labors  of  the  day  and 
the  fatigues  of  the  apostolate.  This  was  not  the  de- 
sign of  God  in  his  regard,  for  the  moment  he  put 
his  hand  to  the  work  all  that  was  thought  wanting 

seemed  to  be  abundantly  supplied 

"A  religious  of  his  order,  after  having  preached 
the  Gospel  several  years  in  the  West  Indies,  was  at 
that  time  in  Spain.  He  was  preparing  to  return  to 
the  field  of  his  labors,  furnished  with  letters  from 
his  General,  Father  Vincent  Justiniani,  giving  him 
ample  powers  to  take  with  him  any  of  the  brethren 
willing  to  accompany  him  and  likely  to  be  useful 
on  his  arduous  mission.  Louis  Bertrand  looked  upon 
it  as  a  call  of  Providence  directed  to  himself.  With 


268    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

delight  he  offered  himself  to  the  good  Father.  The 
remonstrances  of  his  relations,  the  tears  of  his  nov- 
ices, the  opposition  of  his  Prior,  and  the  whole  com- 
munity of  Dominicans  in  Valencia,  were  of  no  avail, 
lie  answered  the  friends  who  most  opposed  his  de- 
sign by  saying  that,  in  making  his  religious  profes- 
sion, he  belonged  entirely  and  exclusively  to  Jesus 
Christ,  whose  interests  alone  from  that  moment  ought 
to  occupy  his  thoughts.  Having  received  the  bless- 
ing of  his  Prior,  which  the  latter  could  not  refuse 
without  danger  of  opposing  the  will  of  God,  Louis 
Bertrand  departed  from  Valencia,  on  the  first  Sunday 
of  Lent,  1562 

"In  the  course  of  his  new  career  he  added  many 
austerities  to  his  ordinary  mortifications,  such  as 
lying  on  the  bare  ground,  exposed  not  only  to  the 
unwholesome  air  but  also  to  the  annoyance  of  in- 
sects with  which  the  country  abounded.  Either 
through  disinterestedness,  or  love  of  suffering,  or 
confidence  in  the  care  of  Him  who  watches  over  every 
life,  or  by  a  combination  of  all  these  motives,  he 
refused  to  receive  from  the  Spaniards  or  Indians  the 
assistance  extended  to  missionaries.  This  often 
caused  him  to  feel  the  sharp  trials  of  hunger,  thirst, 
and  other  inconveniences  of  the  most  wretched  pov- 
erty. A  life  so  thoroughly  apostolic  could  not  fail 
to  inspire  hope  in  the  success  of  its  mission ;  and  that 
hope  was  more  than  realized. 

"Everywhere  he  preached  with  much  fruit,  mak- 
ing great  numbers  of  converts.  The  first  grace  for 
which  our  Saint  prayed  was  that  he  might  be  un- 
derstood by  those  to  whom  he  came  to  announce 


TEACHING  ENDANGERS  THE  HEALTH.  2G9 

the  word  of  God.  But  this  was  not  the  only  favor 
that  signalized  his  apostolate.  The  gifts  of  prophecy 
and  miracles  also  contributed  very  much  to  increase 
the  multitude  of  souls  who  were  the  seal  and  the 
happy  effect  of  the  power  he  had  received  from 
God 

''In  the  month  of  October,  1569,  he  arrived  at 
Valencia,  just  seven  years  and  six  months  after  his 
departure  thence  to  America.  He  had  not  come  back 
to  Spain  to  lead  a  life  of  ease,  and  therefore  he  shrank 
from  no  labor  with  which  he  was  charged.  His  won- 
derful tact  in  the  instruction  of  novices  was  fully 
recognized,  and  it  was  once  more  employed  in  the 
service  of  religion. 

"But  the  principal  occupation  of  our  Saint  after 
his  return  from  America  was  the  ministry  of  the 
word.  In  changing  the  scene  of  action  he  did  not 
change  his  method.  His  labor  and  tears,  his  prayers 
and  penances,  were  still  the  true  sources  of  his  suc- 
cess. With  incredible  zeal  he  fulfilled  for  twelve 
consecutive  years  all  the  functions  of  the  apstolic  life 
in  several  of  the  dioceses  of  Spain,  and  particularly 
in  Valencia.  Not  even  his  special  inclination  for 
prayer  and  retirement,  nor  his  infirmities  of  body, 
nor  the  occupations  which  seemed  to  require  his 
constant  presence  in  his  community,  could  induce 
him  to  give  up  what  he  considered  the  essential 
duty  of  his  vocation.  Only  God  Himself,  the  omnis- 
cient Witness,  could  see  the  fruit  of  his  ministry 
in  the  instruction  of  the  ignorant,  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  and  the  extirpation  of  vice 

"May  it  please  Divine  Providence  to  raise  up  in 


270    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

this  our  day  in  his  holy  Church,  faithful  imitators 
of  his  life  and  virtues;  men  filled  with  the  same 
spirit  of  zeal  and  penance;  apostles  possessed  of 
the  same  ardent  love  of  God  and  of  their  neighbor ;  of 
the  same  invincible  courage  and  persevering  patience, 
of  the  same  wonderful  humility,  which  rendered  him 
equally  successful  among  Christians  and  the  heathen ; 
of  all  those  virtues,  in  fine,  which  raised  him  to  the 
highest  degree  of  perfection,  and  finally  crowned 
him  with  the  honor  of  mankind  and  the  glory  of 
heaven ! ' ' 

Hence,  let  the  Christian  teacher  learn  from  the 
conduct  of  the  heroic  St.  Louis  Bertrand  that  which 
even  the  pagan  philosopher  Seneca  realized:  Let 
that  please  man  which  has  pleased  God. 

And,  with  Thomas  a  Kempis,  let  him  treasure 
up  the  truth  of  these  pregnant  words: 

"Thou  art  miserable  wherever  thou  art  and 
which  way  soever  thou  turnest  thyself,  unless  thou 
turn  thyself  to  God. 

"There  is  no  man  in  the  world  without  some 
trouble  and  affliction,  though  he  be  a  king  or  a 
pope. 

"AVho  is  there  that  is  most  at  ease?  Doubtless 
he  who  is  willing  to  suffer  something  for  God's 


(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Chapt.  XXII,  1. 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  271 


FIFTEENTH  OBJECTION. 

A  TEACHER  IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY,  PERSECUTION,  OR 
DISAGREEMENTS. 

"Assailed   by   scandal   and   the   tongue   of   strife, 
His  only  answer  was  a  blameless  life  ; 
And  he  that  forged,  and  he  that  threw  the  dart, 
Had  each  a  brother's  interest -in  his  heart." — Cowper. 

Sismondi  has  written  nothing  truer  than  when 
he  affirmed  that  suffering  is  the  surest  means  of 
making  us  truthful  to  ourselves.  And  crosses  are  of 
no  use  to  us,  writes  Fenelon  to  a  friend,  but  only 
in  as  much  as  we  yield  ourselves  up  to  them,  and 
forget  ourselves.  But  there  is  nothing  which  na- 
ture dreads  more  than  suffering  and  persecution. 
It  is  impossible  to  avoid  them,  for  they  turn  up  when 
least  expected.  They  are  a  test  of  our  humility.  The 
true  disciple  of  Christ,  grounded  as  he  is  in  humility, 
welcomes  such  crosses,  trials,  and  contradictions.  Now, 
"if  the  basis  of  humility  fail,"  observes  Bishop  Ulla- 
thorne,  (1)  "all  the  virtues  born  of  grace  come  to 
ruin.  Faith  loses  its  vitality,  hope  sinks  into  des- 
pondency, charity  is  destroyed,  prudence  loses  her 
sight  and  her  balance,  justice  is  turned  into  injustice, 
fortitude  is  loosened  from  her  strength,  and  tem- 
perance melts  into  dissipation.  Take  humility  from 
the  learned  man,  and  losing  his  true  position  and 
just  point  of  view,  he  will  put  imagination  in  the 
place  of  truth.  Take  it  from  the  prudent  man  and 

(1)    The   Groundwork  of  the  Christian   Virtues. 


272    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

his  wisdom  will  evaporate  in  conceit  and  vanity. 
Take  it  from  the  man  in  authority,  and  ambition  will 
succeed  to  moderation,  and  he  will  overstep  the  lines 
of  his  just  power.  Take  it  from  the  devout  man,  and 
either  to  escape  his  interior  desolation,  he  will  break 
into  open  evil;  or  will  give  way  to  a  wasting  mel- 
ancholy; or,  whilst  keeping  the  resemblance  of  his 
lost  piety  as  a  mask,  his  hypocrisy  will  make  rav- 
aging additions  to  his  inward  corruption." 

Son,  when  tkou  comest  to  the  service  of  God,  says 
Ecclesiasticus,  stand  in  justice  and  in  fear,  and  pre- 
pare thy  soul  for  temptation.  (1)  The  Evangelist,  St. 
John,  recounts  this  admonition  of  the  Saviour:  Re- 
member my  word  that  I  said  to  you:  The  servant 
is  not  greater  than  his  Lord.  If  they  have  perse- 
cuted Me,  they  will  also  persecute  you.  (%)  And,  if 
you  be  reproached  for  the  name  of  Christ,  affirms  St. 
Peter,  you  will  be  happy;  for  that  which  is  of  the 
honor,  glory,  and  power  of  God,  and  that  ivhich  is 
His  Spirit,  resteth  upon  you.  ($)  Take  all  that  shall 
be  brought  unto  thee,  counsels  Ecclesiasticus,  and  in 
thy  sorrow  endure,  and  in  thy  humiliation  keep  pa- 
tience: for  gold  and  silver  are  tried  in  the  fire,  but 
acceptable  men  in  the  furnace  of  humiliation,  (b) 
And  the  heroic  St.  Paul  in  writing  to  the  Galatians, 
exclaimed :  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  but  in  the 
cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world 
is  crucified  to  me,  and  I  to  the  world.  (5)  Take 
heed  likewise  of  the  warning  which  our  Lord  gave, 
when  he  said :  He  that  taketh  not  up  his  cross,  and 
followeth  Me,  is  not  worthy  of  Me.  (6) 

(1)  c.  ii,  1.    (2)  c.  xv,  20.     (8)  I.  St.  Peter,  iv,  1%. 
(Jf)  c.  ii,  It,  5.     (5)  c.  ii,  JH  5.     (6)  St.  Matt.,  x,  38. 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  273 

But  the  Christian  teacher  who  is  governed  by 
principles  other  than  these  enunciated,  will  natur- 
ally be  sensitive  and  easily  affected.  Vainglory  holds 
sway.  Hence  it  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  see  disobedi- 
ence, boasting,  hypocrisy,  contention,  obstinacy,  dis- 
cord, and  the  presumption  of  novelties,  asserting 
themselves  either  separately  or  in  combinations.  St. 
Gregory  calls  them  the  seven  vicious  daughters  born 
of  vanity.  The  vainglorious  is  ever  ready  to  parade 
his  presumed  excellence.  Thus  it  is  that  he  dreads 
calumny  and  persecution. 

And  the  descent  of  these  vices  from  vainglory 
or  vanity  is  thus  explained  by  St.  Thomas :  ' '  The  end 
of  vainglory  is  to  exhibit  our  own  excellence,  and 
we  may  add,  to  assert  our  own  superiority.  A  man 
seeks  this  in  two  ways,  either  in  words,  and  this  is 
boasting,  or  by  acts,  which  if  true,  but  done  to  ex- 
cite admiration,  have  always  something  new  and  un- 
expected in  them,  which  is  the  presumption  of  nov- 
elties; but  if  these  acts  are  false  and  deceptive,  then 
it  is  hypocrisy. 

' '  There  is  also  an  indirect  way  of  exhibiting  one 's 
own  excellence,  by  ostentatiously  upholding  one's 
equality  with  others,  or  one's  superiority  over  them. 
A  person  may  do  this  in  any  of  four  ways.  The  first 
regards  his  intelligence,  and  shows  itself  in  discord, 
sticking  to  his  own  opinion,  and  refusing  to  give  way, 
even  after  he  sees  that  another  is  nearer  the  truth, 
or  is  altogether  right,  whilst  he  is  in  the  wrong.  The 
second  regards  the  will  and  this  is  obstinacy,  when 
a  man  will  not  give  up  his  own  will  and  way  for 
the  sake  of  peace  and  agreement  with  others.  The 
18 


274    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

third  regards  speech,  and  this  is  contention,  when  a 
man  clamorously  disputes  and  contends  for  no  justi- 
fiable reason,  but  only  to  satisfy  his  vanity.  The 
fourth  regards  facts,  and  is  disobedience,  when,  for 
any  of  the  above  motives,  a  person  refuses  to  obey 
his  superiors."  (!) 

"We  must  therefore  bear  the  branding  of  vexa- 
tion and  calamity,"  writes  this  admirable  teacher 
of  spirituality  elsewhere,  "and  feel  that  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  is  upon  us,  and  that  we  are  stricken 
from  Heaven,  and  crucified,  though  less  by  far  than 
we  deserve.  From  this  we  rise  to  greater  reverence 
and  awe  of  the  majesty  of  God,  and  so  take  his  visi- 
tations in  good  part,  knowing  them  to  come  from 
His  mercy  and  love.  For,  in  short,  spiritual  pros- 
perity is  apt  to  blind  the  soul  as  well  as  temporal 
prosperity,  and  more,  much  more.  For  their  inflation 
creeps  in  without  observation,  and  injures  more  se- 
cretly, and  as  the 'soul  is  more  noble  by  nature  than 
all  bodily  things,  she  is  more  easily  inflated  by  spirit- 
ual prosperity  to  forget  her  nothingness;  whilst  the 
old  self-love  and  the  sense  of  having  been  freed  from 
our  old  iniquities  serve  the  cause  of  Lucifer  in  fix- 
ing us  in  our  own  esteem." 

When  the  Christian  teacher  enters  seriously  into 
himself  by  a  careful  introspection,  he  will  find  that 
there  is  yet  much  for  him  to  attain  in  the  way  of  per- 
fection. Animated  as  he  should  be  by  high  princi- 
ples of  Christian  faith,  he  will  not  allow  the  shadows 
of  things  to  rob  him  of  his  tranquillity  of  mind.  Our 

Lord  predicted  persecutions  for  His  followers,  and 

(1)  St.  Thomas,  SUM.  ii,  2,  q.  132,  a.  5,  quoted  ly  UUathorne. 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  275 

hence  the  Christian  teacher,  walking  in  His  footsteps, 
can  not  expect  to  escape  them.  For  be  thou  as  chaste 
as  ice,  as  pure  as  snow,  says  Shakespeare  in  Hamlet, 
thou  shalt  not  escape  calumny.  Even  Cicero  seems  to 
have  fully  comprehended  this  truth  when  he  said: 
Nothing  is  so  swift  as  calumny;  nothing  so  easily 
uttered;  nothing  more  rapidly  received;  nothing 
more  widely  disseminated. 

Is  it  because  we  believe  ourselves  exposed  to  cal- 
umny and  persecution  and  discord  that  we  imagine 
ourselves  justified  in  complaining,  or,  perhaps,  even 
desire  to  withdraw  from  our  ministry?  May  it  not 
be  possible  that  our  pretended  fears  are  but  a  pre- 
text to  hide  our  infidelity?  Were  we  not  perhaps 
the  indirect  cause  of  these  trials  which  now  so  keenly 
mortify  and  wound  our  self-love  and  vainglory?  If 
so  then  avoid  foolish  and  unlearned  questions;  know- 
ing, as  St.  Paul  wrote  to  Timothy,  that  they  beget 
strifes.  But  the  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  wran- 
gle, but  be  gentle  toward  all  men,  fit  to  teach,  pa- 
tient. (1)  And  to  the  Philippians :  Let  nothing  be 
done  through  contention  nor  by  vainglory:  but  in 
humility,  let  each  esteem  others  better  than  him' 
self.  (2)  But  if  any  man,  he  tells  the  Corinthians, 
seem  to  be  contentious,  we  have  no  such  custom,  nor 
hath  the  Church  of  God.  <3)  And  again  we  read  in 
Proverbs :  It  is  an  howor  for  a  man  to  separate  him- 
self from  quarrels:  but  all  fools  are  meddling  with 
reproaches.  (lt).  .  .  .  Strive  not  against  a  man 
without  cause,  when  lie  hath  done  thee  no  evil.  <5) 


(1)  II.  Tim.,  23,  24.     (2)  c.  U,  S.     (3)  I.  Cor.,  xl,  16. 
(Jl)  c.  xx,  3.     (5)  c  Hi,  SO. 


276    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

If  such  thoughts  as  these  were  present  in  our 
mind,  they  would  banish  all  cowardly  fear  and  pre- 
vent us  from  being  fainthearted  or  tempted  to  look 
~back  after  having  put  our  hands  to  the  plow. 

Hence  we  should  seriously  reflect  with  Thomas 
a  Kempis : 

"Christ  was  also  in  this  world  despised  by  men, 
and  in  His  greatest  necessity  forsaken  by  His  ac- 
quaintances and  friends  in  the  midst  of  reproaches. 

"Christ  would  suffer  and  be  despised,  and  dost 
thou  dare  complain  of  any  one? 

"Christ  had  adversaries  and  backbiters,  and 
wouldst  thou  have  all  to  be  thy  friends  and  bene- 
factors ? 

"Whence  shall  thy  patience  be  crowned,  if  thou 
meet  with  no  adversity? 

"If  thou  wilt  suffer  no  opposition,  how  wilt  thou 
be  a  friend  of  Christ? 

"Suffer  with  Christ  and  for  Christ,  if  thou  desir- 
est  to  reign  with  Christ. 

"If  thou  hadst  once  perfectly  entered  into  the 
interior  of  Jesus,  and  experienced  a  little  of  His 
burning  love,  then  wouldst  thou  not  care  at  all  for 
thy  own  inconvenience  or  convenience,  but  wouldst 
rather  rejoice  at  reproach,  because  the  love  of  Jesus 
makes  a  man  despise  himself."  (!) 

Thus,  far  from  detaching  us  from  our  holy  state, 
the  thought  of  possible  tribulations  and  persecutions 
should  strengthen  us  in  it. 

(1)  Book  II.,  Chap.  I.,  5. 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  277 

I. 

THE  NOBLE  EXAMPLE  OF  ST.  PAUL  AND  ST.  IGNATIUS  OF 
ANTIOCH. 

St.  Paul  was  going  from  Cagsarea  to  Jerusalem. 
"And  as  we  tarried  there  for  some  days,"  relates 
St.  Luke  in  the  Acts,  "there  came  from  Judea  a  cer- 
tain prophet,  named  Agabus.  Who  when  he  was  come 
to  us,  took  Paul's  girdle;  and  binding  his  own  feet 
and  hands,  he  said :  Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost :  The 
man  whose  girdle  this  is,  the  Jews  shall  bind  in  this 
manner  in  Jerusalem,  and  shall  deliver  him  into  the 
hands  of  the  gentiles.  Which  when  we  heard,  both 
we  and  they  that  were  of  that  place,  desired  him  that 
he  would  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem.  Then  Paul  an- 
swered: What  do  you  mean  iveeping  and  afflicting 
my  heart?  For  I  am  ready  not  only  to  be  bound,  but 
to  die  also  in  Jerusalem,  for  the  name  of  the  Lord 
JESUS. 

"And  when  we  could  not  persuade  him,  we 
ceased,  saying:  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done."  (1) 

St.  Ignatius  of  Antioch,  surnamed  Theophorus, 
a  word  implying  a  divine  or  heavenly  person,  was 
a  zealous  convert  and  an  intimate  disciple  of  St.  John 
the  Evangelist.  He  was  a  perfect  model  of  virtue. 
During  the  persecution  of  Domitian,  St.  Ignatius  de- 
fended his  flock  by  prayer,  fasting,  and  daily  preach- 
ing the  word  of  God. 

His  inflamed  desire  of  laying  down  his  life 
for  Christ,  made  him  embrace  his  sufferings  with 

(1)  Acts,  c.  xxi,  10-llf. 


278    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

great  joy.  Trajan,  after  a  short  examination  of  this 
valiant  soldier  of  Christ,  dictated  the  following  sen- 
tence: It  is  our  will  that  Ignatius,  who  saith  that 
he  carrieth  the  crucified  man  within  himself,  be 
bound  and  conducted  to  Rome,  to  be  devoured  there 
by  wild  beasts,  for  the  entertainment  of  the  peo- 
ple. 

The  holy  martyr,  hearing  this  sentence,  cried  out 
with  joy:  I  thank  Thee,  0  Lord,  for  vouchsafing 
to  honor  me  with  this  token  of  perfect  love  for  Thee, 
and  to  be  bound  with  chains  of  iron,  in  imitation  of 
Apostle  Paul,  for  Thy  sake.  Having  said  this,  and 
prayed  for  the  Church,  and  recommended  it  with 
tears  to  God,  he  joyfully  put  on  the  chains,  and 
was  hurried  away  by  a  savage  troop  of  soldiers  to  be 
conveyed  to  Rome. 

He  wrote  to  the  faithful  in  Rome,  to  beg  that 
they  would  not  endeavor  to  obtain  of  God  that  the 
beasts  might  spare  him,  as  they  had  several  others; 
which  might  induce  the  people  to  release  him,  and  so 
disappoint  him  of  his  crown.  The  ardor  of  Divine 
love  which  the  Saint  breathes  throughout  this  let- 
ter, is  as  inflamed  as  the  subject  is  extraordinary.  In 
it  he  writes:  "I  earnestly  wish  for  the  wild  beasts 
that  are  prepared  for  me,  which  I  heartily  desire 
may  soon  dispatch  me;  whom  I  will  entice  to  devour 
me  entirely  and  suddenly,  and  not  serve  me  as  they 
have  done  some  whom  they  had  been  afraid  to  touch ; 
but  if  they  are  unwilling  to  meddle  with  me,  I  will 
compel  them  to  it So  that  I  have  no  de- 
sire after  anything  visible  or  invisible,  that  I  may 
attain  to  Jesus  Christ.  Let  fire,  or  the  cross,  or 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  279 

the  concourse  of  wild  beasts,  let  cutting  or  tearing  of 
the  flesh,  let  breaking  of  bones,  and  cutting  off  of 
limbs,  let  the  shattering  in  pieces  of  my  whole  body, 
and  all  the  wicked  torments  of  the  devil  come  upon 
me,  so  I  may  but  attain  to  Jesus  Christ.  All  the 
compass  of  the  earth  and  the  kingdom  of  this  world, 
will  profit  me  nothing.  It  is  better  for  me  to  die 
for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  than  to  rule  unto  the 

ends  of  the  earth Though  I  am  alive 

at  the  writing  of  this,  yet  my  desire  is  to  die.  My  love 
is  crucified.  The  fire  that  is  within  me  does  not 
crave  any  water;  but  being  alive  and  springing 
within,  says :  Come  to  the  Father I  de- 
sire to  live  no  longer  according  to  men ;  and  this  will 
be,  if  you  are  willing.  Be,  then,  willing,  that  you 
may  be  accepted  by  God.  Pray  for  me  that  I  may 
possess  God." 


II. 

THE    TRULY    ZEALOUS    MAN    LOSES    NOT    HIS    PEACE    OF 

MIND    WHEN    HIS    REPUTATION    IS    ATTACKED    BY 

CALUMNY. 

The  eminent  virtue  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales  did 
not  escape  the  tongue  of  calumniators.  It  had  to 
pass,  through  the  crucial  test.  But  his  admirable  pa- 
tience and  resignation  to  God's  will  were  proof 
against  all  attacks  on  his  reputation.  At  no  time  did 
he  lose  calmness  and  tranquillity  of  heart,  despite 
the  baseness  and  atrocity  of  the  calumnies. 


280    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"Providence,"  lie  gently  observed,  "is  fully  cog- 
nizant of  the  degree  of  reputation  requisite  for  me 
to  accomplish  His  work,  and  consequently,  I  desire 
neither  more  nor  less  than  what  seems  sufficient  for 
me  according  to  His  wise  dispensation.  Their  cen- 
sure or  blame  does  not  disconcert  me  in  the  least. 
And  so  far  as  the  accusations  are  concerned,  my 
conscience  tells  me  that  I  am  without  reproach 
before  God,  and  that  knowledge  is  quite  sufficient  for 
me.  There  is  no  doubt  that  I  would,  for  the  sake  of 
my  ministry,  be  pleased  to  regain  the  good  opinion 
of  these  gentlemen,  but  if  I  can  not,  I  shall  continue 
my  labors  with  a  good  and  bad  reputation.  Thus  I 
shall  have  an  opportunity  of  acquiring  greater 

merit I  have     placed  all  these     raging 

storms  into  the  hands  of  Providence,  writes  he  to 
Madame  de  Chantal;  whether  they  shall  continue  to 
blow,  or  whether  they  are  appeased,  I  simply  wish 
what  God  wishes:  the  calm  or  tempest  are  wholly 
indifferent  to  me.  Blessed  are  ye,  affirms  our  Lord, 
when  they  shall  revile  you,  and  speak  all  that  is  evil 
against  you,  for  My  sake/1)  If  the  world  did  not  find 
fault  with  us  we  would  not  be  true  servants  of  God. 
I  have  commended  this  matter  to  the  Blessed  Virgin 
and  I  am  resolved  to  leave  it  to  her  loving  care. 
Nothing  is  gained  by  going  against  the  waves,  save 
foam.  Hence,  be  not  disquieted  concerning  me.  If 
they  must  needs  censure  me,  well  and  good.  If  I  be 
free  from  blame  in  this  matter,  I  may  perhaps  de- 
serve it  on  other  scores.  Do  you  wish  me  to  be  the 
only  one  exempt  from  opprobrium?  There  is  self- 

(1)  St.  Matt.,  v,  11. 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  281 

love  in  the  desire  of  being  loved  by  all  and  that 
everything 'should  be  turned  to  our  glory." 

"It  is  good  for  us,"  observes  Thomas  a  Kempis, 
' '  to  have  sometimes  troubles  and  adversities ;  for  they 
make  a  man  enter  into  himself,  that  he  may  know 
that  he  is  in  a  state  of  banishment,  and  may  not  place 
his  hopes  in  anything  of  this  world. 

"It  is  good  that  we  sometimes  suffer  contradic- 
tions, and  that  men  have  an  evil  or  imperfect  opin- 
ion of  us;  even  when  we  do  and  intend  well. 

"These  things  are  often  helps  to  humility,  and 
defend  us  from  vainglory. 

"For  then  we  better  run  to  God  our  inward  wit- 
ness, when  outwardly  we  are  despised  by  men,  and 
little  credit  is  given  us."  (1) 

It  is  in  adversity  that  a  man  learns  to  know  really 
what  he  is.  What  doth  he  know,  asks  Ecclesiasticus, 
that  hath  not  been  tried  f  (*)  The  man  who  prospers 
in  everything  is  in  great  danger.  It  is  much  to  be 
feared  that  his  soul  will  be  cast  into  a  lethargic 
sleep,  and  that  at  the  hour  of  his  awakening,  it 
will  be  said  to  him:  Son,  remember  that  thou  didst 
receive  good  things  in  thy  life.  (3)  Sufferings  are  a 
grace  of  predilection.  For  they  exercise  us  in  vir- 
tue, furnish  us  new  occasions  of  merit,  and  make 
us  conformable  to  the  Son  of  God  of  whom  it  is 
written:  Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these 
things,  and  so  to  enter  into  His  Glory.  (!t) 

(1)  Book  I.,  xii.     (2)  c.  xxxiv,  9.     (3)  St.  Luke,  xvi,  25. 
(4)  Ibid.,  xxiv,  26. 


282    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

III. 

HOW  ST.  JOHN  BAPTIST  DE  LA  SALLE  SUFFERED  INSULTS 
AND    CONTEMPT. 

"It  must  be  confessed,"  writes  Canon  Blain,  (!) 
"that  according  to  the  maxims  of  worldly  prudence, 
St.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle  was  not  of  the  worldly-wise. 
The  world  treated  him  as  a  fool;  his  own  Bishop 
passed  the  same  judgment  upon  him.  For  he  looked 
upon  him  as  a  man  whose  mind  had  been  weakened 
by  an  ill-regulated  pietism,  particularly  when  he 
heard  him  speak  of  renouncing  his  canonical  dignity 
in  favor  of  a  stranger  and  to  the  disadvantage  of 
his  brother.  And,  when  he  saw  him  determined 
to  give  up  all  his  possessions  and  throw  himself 
into  the  hands  of  Providence,  he  pitied  him  and 
regarded  him  as  being  mentally  deranged.  The  as- 
sociates of  our  saintly  Canon,  as  well  as  his  friends 
and  relatives  and  many  citizens  of  Rheims  held  the 
same  opinion,  and  viewed  his  acts  of  virtue  and  sac- 
rifice as  so  many  traits  of  folly,  or  at  least,  as  strik- 
ing evidences  of  imprudence. 

"Everything  in  the  future  life  of  the  servant  of 
God  was  misconstrued  by  the  world;  everything  ap- 
peared singular  in  connection  -  with  his  project,  his 
conduct,  his  manner  of  life,  his  habit,  and  that  of  the 
Brothers.  It  appeared  equally  ridiculous  to  the  eyes 
of  the.  prudent  to  see  schoolmasters  live  up  to  the 
austerity,  silence,  and  recollection  of  anchorets,  and 
to  witness  the  Canon  himself  teach  in  the  primary 

(1)  Spirit  and  Virtues  of  St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle,  chapt.  X,  it. 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  283 

schools,  clothed  in  the  humble  habit  of  the  Brothers. 
According  to  their  judgment,  the  master  and  his 
disciples  both  had  urgent  need  of  wise  counsel  to 
moderate  their  piety. 

"These  critics  deemed  the  zeal  of  the  Brothers 
not  in  harmony  with  wisdom.  They  esteemed  their 
virtue  as  lacking  that  wise  temperance  which  pru- 
dence gives,  and  which  St.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle  failed  to 
notice,  because  he  was  an  extremist  in  all  things,  and 
hence  fell  into  the  greatest  excesses  in  matters  of 
piety.  If  the  servant  of  God  was  thus  treated  in 
his  native  city,  he  fared  not  much  better  in  Paris 
and  elsewhere.  While  praising  his  piety,  they  cen- 
sured his  conduct,  and  ascribed  nearly  all  his  acts 
to  imprudence.  Fortunately  for  him,  there  had  been 
other  saints  who  were  similarly  treated.  Their  vir- 
tue, which  was  above  the  ordinary  level,  exposed  them 
to  the  criticism  of  those  who  did  not  possess  the  lofty 
wisdom  critics  condemned.  St.  J.-B.  de  La  Salle 
was  no  exception  thereto.  His  piety  exposed  him  to 
the  contradiction  of  many  good  men,  and  thus  he  be- 
came the  object  of  jealousy,  censure,  and  persecution. 
To  them  he  was  no  better  than  an  extremist,  endowed 
with  a  mediocre  intellect.  This  is  all  that  they  could 
allege  against  him,  the  sanctity  of  his  life  giving  him 
immunity  from  other  reproaches. 

"When  the  conduct  of  the  Founder  of  the  Broth- 
ers is  however  weighed,  free  from  passion,  preju- 
dice, or  jealousy,  it  is  obvious  that  the  Spirit  of  God, 
the  Spirit  of  wisdom,  understanding,  and  counsel 
dwelt  in  him,  and  that  He  who  is  the  source  of  those 
gifts,  communicated  them  to  him. 


284    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"Now,  the  world  spoke  of  him  only  with  con- 
tempt, and  pursued  him  with  its  railleries,  slanders, 
fury,  and  persecution.  All  his  actions  were  censured, 
condemned,  and  contradicted.  All  his  projects  were 
examined  only  to  turn  them  into  ridicule;  and  those 
who  were  less  prejudiced  toward  him,  imagined  that 
they  were  conferring  a  favor  upon  him  by  heaping 
ridicule  upon  him.  The  profit  which  the  holy  priest 
derived  from  this  general  discredit,  was  to  enter 
more  intimately  into  the  designs  of  God.  Conse- 
quently, he  availed  himself  of  the  erroneous  judg- 
ments of  the  public  for  his  own  self-abasement;  he 
desired  to  hide  his  heroic  virtue  under  the  mantle  of 
humility,  and  to  humble  himself  still  more  interior- 
ly than  the  world  lowered  him  exteriorly. 

"He  treasured  contempt  as  flowers  suited  for 
wearing  the  crown  of  true  humility,  more  precious 
than  all  the  diadems  of  honor  with  which  the  world 
adorns  the  brows  of  princes.  Thus  did  the  holy 
priest  seek  the  real  knowledge  of  himself  in  what 
the  world  said  of  him.  Hearing  only  what  was  dis- 
paraging to  his  honor  he  learned  to  despise  himself, 
and  to  lay  aside  that  good  opinion,  that  secret  and 
immoderate  esteem,  that  baneful  desire  of  exaltation, 
which  we  have  inherited  from  Adam,  and  which  even 
Baptism  has  not  obliterated.  The  more  he  searched 
before  God  into  what  the  world  said  of  him,  the 
greater  reason  he  found  to  humble  himself.  Even  un- 
der the  blackest  calumnies  and  the  most  crying  im- 
postures, he  discovered  a  depth  of  truth,  which 
obliged  him  to  acknowledge  that  men,  in  speaking 
ill  of  him,  did  not  say  enough,  and  if  they  saw  his 


IS  EXPOSED  TO  CALUMNY.  285 

natural  inclinations  as  he  himself  beheld,  they  would 
redouble  their  contempt. ' ' 

Therefore  let  us  often  ask  ourselves  with  Plautus : 
Do  we  never  look  at  ourselves  when  we  abuse  others  T 

For,  "in  judging  others,  a  man  labors  in  vain, 
often  errs,  and  easily  sins;  but  in  judging  and  look- 
ing into  himself,  he  always  labors  with  fruit. 

"We  frequently  judge  of  a  thing  according  as 
we  have  it  at  heart;  for  we  easily  lose  true  judg- 
ment through  private  affection."  (!) 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Chapt.  XIV.,  1. 


286    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


SIXTEENTH  OBJECTION. 

THE  TEACHING  OF  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL. 

"The  thing  which  must  be,  must  be  for  the  best, 
God  helps  us  to  do  our  duty  and  not  shrink, 
And  trust  His  mercy  humbly  for  the  rest." 

— Owen  Meredith. 

"It  happens  sometimes,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "that, 
after  having  vanquished  our  other  enemies,  we  take 
up  arms  against  ourselves,  and  are,  by  our  own  spirit 
impelled  to  pride,  vanity,  and  impatience."  Conse- 
quently, we  need  not  be  surprised  at  experiencing 
these  feelings  of  weariness.  "If  we  examine  the 
cause  of  our  sadness,"  intimates  Rusbrocius,  "we 
shall  find  it  to  be  some  hidden  pride,  some  subtle  am- 
bition, some  secret  self-esteem,  and  always  some  de- 
ficiency of  humility."  Thus,  it  is  evident  that  the 
root  of  the  evil  is  to  be  found  in  pride  or  in  one 
of  her  many  offsprings.  There  is  here  a  love  of 
ease,  a  repugnance  to  combat  inclinations,  an  un- 
willingness to  carry  the  cross.  It  is  nature  opposed 
to  grace.  "Let  thy  first  study  be,"  counsels  Tris- 
megistus  to  his  son,  "to  divest  thyself  of  inordinate 
affection  to  thy  body,  this  foundation  and  source 
of  wickedness,  this  bond  of  corruption,  this  thick 
veil  which  blinds  thee,  this  living  death,  this  moving 
sepulchre,  this  domestic  enemy,  which  hates  thee  in 
caressing  thee,  and  loves  thee  in  hating  thee.  It 
covers  thee  as  a  tent,  lest  thou  should  see  the  beauty 
of  truth,  the  happiness  which  virtue  would  place 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL.  287 

within  thy  reach,  and  the  snares  which  the  pas- 
sions continually  lay  for  thy  destruction." 

"Our  nature  most  cunningly  refers  its  affections, 
works,  and  all  that  it  thinks  and  does/'  remarks 
Father  Saint- Jure,  (!)  "not  to  the  glory  of  God,  but 
to  its  own  gratification;  while  grace  refers  all  to 
God  and  salvation.  Nature  would  gladly  live  al- 
ways in  this  miserable  life,  which  is  filled  with 
troubles  and  bitterness,  vice  and  defects,  in  darkness 
of  the  understanding,  disorders  of  the  will,  extrava- 
gance of  the  imagination,  the  tyranny  of  the  pas- 
sions, and  the  bondage  of  the  senses. 

"Nature  wishes  to  live  in  perfect  liberty;  she 
does  not  willingly  submit  to  the  rule  of  another;  she 
rebels  not  only  against  equals  and  inferiors,  but  also 
against  legitimate  superiors;  she  can  not  bear  to  be 
conquered,  and  should  all  resistance  prove  ineffectual, 
she  lays  down  her  arms  with  a  very  bad  grace.  .  .  . 
Nature  is  prompt,  rude,  impetuous,  and  ardent  in  her 
desires." 

Nature,  says  Thomas  a  Kempis,  easily  complains 
of  want  and  of  trouble.  Nature  labors  for  her  own 
interest,  and  considers  what  gain  she  may  reap  from 
another.  <2) 

Now,  "as  effects  are,  according  to  philosophers, 
always  proportionate  to  their  cause,  and  the  actions 
of  a  spiritual  man,  being  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  performed  on  the  Model  of  Christ,  must  of  neces- 
sity be  holy  and  excellent.  The  actions  of  the  spirit- 
ual life  are,"  observes  Saint- Jure,  "to  love  God  for 

(1)  The  Spiritual  Man. 

(2)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III,  c.  LIV,  15. 


288    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

His  own  sake,  to  prefer  interior  to  exterior  goods;, 
to  chastise  the  body,  and  keep  it  in  subjection;  to 
refuse  what  it  desires,  and  impose  what  it  does  not 
wish  for;  and  to  desire  contempt  and  opprobrium. 
The  actions  peculiar  to  the  natural  life  are:  to  pre- 
fer self  to  God,  to  natter  the  body,  to  seek  self- 
interest,  and  to  fly  suffering  and  contempt.  "(1) 
Hence,  we  would  counsel  with  Shakespeare : 

"Find  out  the  cause  of  this  effect: 
Or,    rather,    say,    the    cause    of    this    defect ; 
For  this  effect  defective,  comes  by  cause." 

And  since  we  have  the  great  honor  to  be  Christian 
teachers,  we  undoubtedly  desire  to  live  conformably 
to  our  exalted  ministry.  But  to  attain  that  perfec- 
tion, we  should  divest  ourselves  wholly  of  the  fail- 
ings and  defects  of  the  old  man,  and  clothe  our- 
selves with  the  virtues  of  the  new.  This  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  teaching  of  the  Apostle  of  nations. 
In  writing  to  the  Colossians,  he  urges:  Stripping 
yourselves  of  the  old  man  with  his  deeds,  and  put- 
ting on  the  new,  him  who  is  renewed  unto  knowledge, 
according  to  the  image  of  Him  who  created  him.  (2> 
This  explicit  doctrine  leaves  no  room  for  doubt  as 
to  our  conduct.  We  must,  then,  deny  ourselves  and 
combat  the  carnal  man  in  us.  We  must  needs  over- 
come our  natural  as  well  as  evil  inclinations  and  lis- 
ten attentively  to  grace.  For  we  have  need  of  our 
whole  strength,  and  hence  we  should  be  upon  our 
guard,  lest  we  undermine  it  by  following  the  sug- 
gestions of  nature.  We  shall  get  weary  of  well-doing 
unless  we  are  sustained  by  grace. 

(1)  The  Spiritual  Man.     (2)  c.  Hi,  9,  10. 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL.  289 

The  distaste  experienced  for  the  education  of  chil- 
dren is  indeed  natural.  This  feeling  may  also  result 
from  physical  causes.  However,  we  must  not  give 
way  to  it.  But  should  it  arise  from  a  lack  of  the 
true  spirit  of  faith  and  disinterestedness,  then  we 
have  reason  to  fear  and  tremble  for  the  consequences, 
unless  we  strive  to  renew  our  spirit.  "Withal,  there 
is  nothing  extraordinary  in  having  such  feelings,  for 
they  are  consequent  upon  our  frail  nature.  All 
the  saints  have  more  or  less  experienced  this  falling 
off  of  fervor.  They,  however,  resisted  these  inclin- 
ations and  persevered  in  good,  despite  interior  dry- 
ness.  Thus  we  should  act.  If  we  have  no  taste  for 
teaching,  let  us  combat  this  repugnance,  particularly 
should  it  result  from  lack  of  a  proper  spirit  or  mo- 
tive. Let  us  adopt  this  admirable  motto  from  the 
sayings  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales :  Let  your  charity  be 
stronger  than  your  inclinations. 

Now,  it  is  not  the  question  of  a  vocation,  but  of 
persevering.  Since  we  are  exercising  the  functions 
of  our  ministry,  having  been  called  thereto,  God  has 
unquestionably  placed  at  our  disposal  all  the  re- 
quisite graces.  For  theologians  teach  that  whenever 
God  gives  any  one  the  grace  of  vocation,  He  likewise 
furnishes  the  means  for  the  worthy  attainment  of 
its  end.  Hence  our  perseverance  therein  depends 
wholly  upon  our  correspondence  with  His  grace  and 
and  our  generosity  in  the  fulfillment  of  its  duties. 

For  "much  virtue  and  holiness,"  observes  Father 

Crasset,  "are  demanded  of  him  who  would  instruct 

youth.     It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  love  children, 

if  we  desire  to  do  them  any  good.    Now  to  acquire 

19 


290    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED 

this  virtue  and  these  requisite  good  qualities,  it  is 
most  essential  that  the  Christian  teacher  enter  upon 
his  vocation  from  a  motive  of  charity.  God  who 
is  just  and  liberal,  is  under  a  special  obligation,  as 
it  were,  to  endow  those  who  embrace  it  with-  this 
purity  of  intention,  with  the  necessary  means  to 
attain  the  perfection  of  their-  state,  precisely  as  He 
furnishes  the  milk  to  the  mother  when  her  child 
is  born."^) 

Evidently,  God  would  not  refuse  the  abundance 
of  grace  to  the  Christian  teacher  who,  through  pure 
and  disinterested  love,  should  labor  so  generously 
and  earnestly  to  procure  a  new  birth  to  so  many 
children.  Hence,  being  assured  of  this  Divine  as- 
sistance, the  truly  Christian  teacher  will  redouble 
his  zeal  and  feel  stimulated  to  renewed  efforts,  de- 
spite the  weariness  and  monotony  experienced  in  his 
arduous  ministry.  For,  he  is  fully  conscious  that 
every  profession  in  life  has  its  attendant  difficulties 
and  vexations.  These  are  due  in  a  great  measure  to 
the  inconsistency  of  our  nature.  Hence,  he  will 
battle  the  more  courageously,  aware  that  he  is  not 
laboring  alone.  God,  seeing  his  pure  intention, 
blesses  the  work  with  abundant  fruit  unto  salva- 
tion. He  appreciates  also  the 

"Time,  that  returns  not,   errs  not.     Be  content, 
Knowing  this  much :  nor  toil  against  the  event 
Whereto  time  tends."  (2) 

He  who  wishes  the  end,  must  provide  or  procure 
the  means.  Now,  God  wishes  the  salvation  of  the 

(1)  De  I' Instruction  de  la  Jeunesse. 

(2)  Owen  Meredith,  Licinius,  Part  IV. 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  W6TASTEFUL.  291 

children  entrusted  to  us  by  means  of  our  instruc- 
tion and  example.  But  there  is  a  principle  in  philoso- 
phy which  declares  that  no  one  can  give  what  he  does 
not  possess.  Hence,  if  we  are  not  holy,  how  can  we 
impart  holiness?  Consequently,  the  greater  our  as- 
surance is  that  God  wishes  our  pupils  to  be  holy, 
the  greater  also  becomes  the  obligation  upon  us  to 
sanctify  ourselves.  For  it  was  to  attain  this  emi- 
nent degree  of  perfection  that  He  has  bestowed  upon 
us  so  many  graces  and  has  furnished  us  with  so  many 
means.  We  have,  moreover,  the  certainty  that  His 
aid  will  never  be  wanting  to  us  as  long  as  we  are 
engaged  in  His  service  in  educating  His  little  ones. 
Hence  the  Psalmist  counsels  us :  C'ast  thy  care  upon 
the  Lord,  and  He  shall  sustain  thee.  (!)  And  St.  Paul 
writing  to  Timothy  assures  him :  The  Lord  will  give 
thee  in  all  things  understanding/2) 

Now,  let  us  make  the  assumption  that  God  is  not 
obliged  to  provide  us  with  the  special  graces  re- 
quisite for  our  state  or  ministry.  Then  it  follows 
that  we  must  deserve  His  aid  and  protection  by  our 
fidelity  in  His  service.  Could  we  think  of  a  better 
way  to  ensure  the  necessary  helps  than  by  manifest- 
ing our  love  toward  the  children  ?  Did  not  our  Lord 
declare  that  He  would  hold  as  done  to  Himself  what- 
ever we  would  do  for  them  for  His  sake?  Moreover, 
are  we  not  assured  of  the  wonderful  intercessory 
power  with  God  which  the  prayers  of  children  pos- 
sess? For  their  hearts  are  pure  and  innocent,  con- 
sequently free  from  those  stains  which  constitute  the 

(1)  Ps.,  LIV,  23. 
(2}  II.  Tim.,  ii,  7. 


292    THE  YOUNG  CHMSTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

greatest  obstacle  to  the  efficacy  of  our  own  petitions. 
Hence,  if  any  one  can  move  the  will  of  the  Almighty, 
the  prayer  of  sweet,  innocent  childhood  will  un- 
doubtedly accomplish  it.  For,  in  Children  He  be- 
holds the  virtues  most  dear  to  His  Heart,  namely, 
humility,  innocence,  and  simplicity.  Thus,  in  what- 
ever light  we  consider  this  objection,  there  is  no 
reason  for  discouragement,  weariness,  or  despon- 
dency. It  is,  therefore,  a  great  delusion  or  tempta- 
tion to  desire  to  withdraw  from  our  holy  ministry, 
merely  on  account  of  the  trouble  or  annoyance  coming 
from  educating  the  children,  or  because  of  a  feeling  of 
weariness  or  disgust,  or  perhaps  from  incompetency 
in  teaching.  Hence,  let  us  address  the  children 
with  the  delight  felt  by  the  poet,  when  he  exclaimed : 

"Hail,  blooming  Youth ! 

May   all  your  virtues  with  your  years   improve. 
Till  in  consummate  worth  you  shine  the  pride 
Of  these  our  days,  and  succeeding  times 
A  bright  example."  (1) 

Consequently,  ''let  us  not  say,"  Father  Crasset 
admonishes,  "that  we  have  neither  inclination  nor 
the  capacity  for  this  kind  of  work.  Since  it  is  our 
vocation,  we  may  rest  assured  that  God's  help  will 
never  be  wanting  to  us.  Go,  He  says,  into  my  vine- 
yard, and  I  will  give  you  whatever  is  just  and  neces- 
sary; labor,  teach,  support,  and  correct.  I  will  note 
whatever  you  do  to  these  children,  as  if  you  did  it 
to  Myself.  I  will  shower  my  graces  and  favors  upon 
you  in  this  life  and  will  make  you  a  partaker  of 
my  felicity  in  the  next."  (2) 

(1)  Somerville,  The  Chase,  Book  III. 
(8)  De  I'lnstruction  de  la  Jeunesse. 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL.  293 

"To  thine  own  self  b.e  true ; 
And  it  must  follow,  as  night  the  day, 
Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man."  (1) 


I. 

THOUGHTS  OF  FATHER  JUDDE  CALCULATED  TO  INSPIRE  A 
LOVE  FOR  TEACHING  AND  TO  DIRECT  IN  THE  EXER- 
CISE OF  THAT  FUNCTION. 

I.  By  a  general  sacrifice,  I  must  be  ready  to  of- 
fer to  God  all  my  repugnances  and  aversions.    Con- 
sequently, to  be  effective,  I  should  begin  with  those 
which  cost  me  the  most  to  give  up  and  those  which 
I  can  not  foster  without  exposing  myself  to  commit 
many  faults.    Now,  an  aversion  of  this  nature  would 
be  the  natural  repugnance  to  become  a  child  with 
children.     A  victory  over  such  repugnances  is  fol- 
lowed by  great  peace. 

II.  To  inspire  youth  with  true  piety  is  not,  after 
all,  so  easy  of  attainment  as  many  seem  to  presume. 

St.  Jerome  desires  Laeta,  a  Roman  lady  and 
wife  of  Toxotius,  to  send  her  seven  year  old  daugh- 
ter, Paula,  to  Bethlehem  to  be  instructed  by  him 
in  Holy  Scripture  and  trained  to  piety.  Thus,  de- 
spite his  old  age,  he  found  pleasure  in  teaching  piety. 
St.  Gregory,  even  as  Pope,  did  not  disdain  to  teach 
children  to  sing  the  liturgical  chants.  And,  we  learn 
from  the  History  of  the  Church,  the  appreciation 
which  the  saints  of  all  ages,  especially  of  later  times, 
had  for  the  ministry  of  teaching. 

(1)  Shakespeare,  Hamlet,  Act.  I. 


294    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

III.  The  annoyances  and  difficulties  which  we 
necessarily  experience  in  our  dealings  with  children, 
are  most  conducive  in  checking  our  impetuosity,  im- 
patience, and  uneven  temper.    Possibly  this  may  be 
the  hidden  cause  why  we  have  such  an  aversion  for 
children,  or  dread  to  be  with  them. 

IV.  We  know  that  every  child  has  for  its  guard- 
ian angel  one  of  the  princes  of  the  heavenly  Court. 
But  as  the  child  can  not  see  him  and  is  too  young  to 
appreciate  his  services  and  listen  to  his  inspirations, 
he  has  need  of  our  intelligent  co-operation  and  di- 
rection.   Thus  we  can  direct  the  children  to  be  good 
and  teach  them  to  be  virtuous. 

V.  Oh!  that  we  could  only  realize  the  good  we 
can  accomplish  among  children!     Never  shall  they 
forget  the   excellent   lessons   taught   them   in   their 
childhood  days!     Their  memories  will  treasure  what 
has  been  said  concerning  prayer,  and  how  they  are 
to  receive  the  sacraments  with  due  preparation.    Con- 
sequently, we  should  be  extremely  guarded  against 
our  weaknesses,  for  children  are  quick  to  observe  and 
slow  to  forget.     How  many  pupils  have  not  been 
turned  away  from  embracing  the  religious  life,  ow- 
ing to  the  bad  example  of  teachers !    Alas !  what  con- 
fusion, shame,  and  desolation  we  shall  feel  at  the 
awful  judgment  seat,  if  the  Almighty  shall  have  to 
upbraid  and  confront  us  with  the  loss  of  a  single  soul ! 

VI.  We  owe,  perhaps,  our  own  vocation  to  the 
good  education  and  edifying  example  of  a  virtuous 
teacher.     Consequently,  let  us,   in  our  turn,  do  a 
similar  service  to  our  pupils,  for  God  expects  this 
much  from  our  gratitude. 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL.  295 

VII.  Apostolic  men  risk  their  lives  in  China  and 
in  the  wilds  of  unexplored  Africa  in  search  of  semi- 
civilized  peoples  to  bring  them  to  the  knowledge  of 
their  Creator.     Here  in  our  schools,  heaven  sends 
us  little  proselytes  of  the  faith,  and  we  refuse  to 
labor  for  them!    Doubtless,  they  are  imperfect  as  to 
body  and  mind,  but  their  souls   are,   nevertheless, 
attractive  and  beautiful.    Faith  teaches  us  that  they 
have  been  redeemed  by  Jesus  Christ ;  we  have  merely 
to  lift  the  veil,  and  we  will  behold  their  souls  em- 
purpled with  His  blood.     Never  shall  we  notice  in 
our  pupils  anything  akin  to  the  baseness,  rudeness, 
or   depravity,   found   among  savages.     Withal,   the 
most  degraded  savage  tribes  are  not,   on  that  ac- 
count,  abandoned  to  their  ignorance   and  its  con- 
sequent vices.     Where  is,  then,  our  faith  and  cour- 
age?    Satan  does  not  despise  the  most  demoralized 
human  beings,  for  he  exerts  his  greatest  cunning  to 
effect  their  eternal  ruin. 

VIII.  Possibly  prior  to  our  conversion  or  en- 
trance into  religion,  we  may  have  directly  or  indi- 
rectly contributed  to  the  damnation  of  one  or  more 
souls.    Hence,  let  us  give  back  to  God  soul  for  soul. 
And  if  we  can  not  restore  those  whom  we  have  been 
unfortunate  enough  to  snatch  from  Him,  let  us  now, 
at  least,  make  full  reparation  by  saving  others. 

IX.  Let  us  honestly  examine  our  conduct.     How 
do  we  serve  God  ?    Is  our  service  loyal  ?    Do  we  com- 
pensate Him  for  our  negligence  and  imperfections 
by  educating   these   children   in   a   truly   Christian 
manner?   Do  we  carefully  instill  into  their  innocent 
hearts  His  holy  fear  and  love?    Let  us  say  to  Him: 


296    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

0  my  God,  even  if  I  do  not  accomplish  for  Thy  honor 
and  glory  all  that  Thou  meritest,  behold  these  lit- 
tle children  whom  I  offer  to  Thee,  for  their  purity 
and  simplicity  are  acceptable  in  Thy  sight!  I  will 
teach  them  to  bless,  love,  and  serve  Thee:  deign,  0 
Lord,  graciously  to  accept  my  offering. 

X.  The  prayers  that  shall  be  offered  in  our  behalf 
by  those  who  have  been  the  object  of  our  tender  solici- 
tude and  loving  care,  will  undoubtedly  obtain  for  us 
all  kinds  of  graces  and  blessings. 

Now,  if  a  poor  man's  prayer  for  his  benefactor 
finds  favor  with  God,  then  assuredly  will  the  prayer 
of  a  pupil  for  his  teacher  be  of  avail. 

XI.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in  guarding  and 
instructing  our  pupils,  we  may,  at  times,  be  exposed 
to  many  distractions  in  our  spiritual  exercises.    This 
is  natural.    And  yet,  is  it  possible  to  be  better  dis- 
tracted or  to  a  better  advantage  than  when  advanc- 
ing the  reign  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  hearts  of  our 
pupils  ? 

XII.  Some  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  live  in  our  active  ministry  without  commit- 
ting many  faults.     This  is  answered  by  a  holy  and 
enlightened  man,  thus:     God  never  imposes  a  rule 
which  it  is  impossible  to  keep. 

For  He  who  inspired  the  rule,  will  also  give  the 
grace  requisite  to  live  up  to  it,  provided,  however, 
that  we  do  what  is  demanded  of  us.  And  I  would 
add,  that  the  faults  which  we  commit  will  bear  no 
proportion  to  the  good  we  can  effect  and  the  merits 
that  we  can  acquire  in  our  arduous  ministry. 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL.  297 

"We  are,  as  it  were,  the  visible  guardian  angels 
of  our  pupils.  Now,  that  our  ministry  may  be  fruit- 
ful and  efficacious,  let  us,  in  our  conduct  towards  our 
pupils,  strive  to  be  imitators  of  their  invisible  guard- 
ian angels. 

I.  God  sends  those  heavenly  spirits  upon  their 
mission.    Hence,  it  is  neither  by  desire  nor  volition 
that  they  come  upon  earth;  but  they  are  ever  ready 
to  execute  God's  will. 

II.  While  accomplishing  their  mission,  they  are 
never  for  a  single  instant  deprived  of  the  beatific 
vision.    Thus  we  should  ever  walk  in  God's  presence 
by  our  frequent,  fervent  aspirations  of  faith  and 
love. 

III.  Whether  a  man  be  afflicted  with  a  loath- 
some disease  or  retain  his  full  manly  strength  and 
beauty,  the  ministry  of  the  guardian  angel   is  in- 
variably the  same.     Consequently,  let  us  be  content 
with  whatever  it  may  please  God's  Providence  to 
send  us.    For  all  men  are  equal  in  His  sight.    Un- 
doubtedly, He  could  have  created  our  pupils  more 
perfect  than  they  are,  if  He  so  willed  it;  but  shall 
we  have  the  presumption  to  murmur  or  complain, 
because  of  existing  imperfections  ? 

IV.  The  guardian  angels  hinder  our  faults.  They 
warn  us  of  them  charitably  and  noiselessly,  though 
persistently.    They  neither  dispute  with  us  nor  abuse 
us.    What  a  beautiful  example  of  moderation ! 

V.  The  guardian  angel  of  the  poorest  artisan,  . 
or  the  vilest  churl,  is  as  happy  and  content  as  if 
he  were  ministering  to  a  monarch. 


298    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

VI.  Our   guardian   angels   do   not   abandon   us 
until  we  have  breathed  forth  our  last  sigh,  and  not 
until  there  is  not  the  faintest  hope  of  doing  us  some 
good.    What  remarkable  patience  did  they  not  mani- 
fest while  we  were  languishing  or  wallowing  in  sin? 
Hence,  let  us  be  patient  like  them ;  let  us  hope  against 
hope  so  long  as  the  child  is  under  our  care.    Perhaps 
everything  will  right  itself  at  the  last  moment. 

VII.  Our  guardian  angels  are  unceasingly  pray- 
ing for  us.     Therefore,  let  us  pray  for  those  whose 
visible  guardian  angels  we  are.     Consequently,  we 
should  frequently  recommend  to  God  the  success  of 
our  labors,  instructions,  and  corrections. 

VIII.  Guardian  angels  mutually  assist  one  an- 
other for  our  good.     Now,  let  us  act  in  harmony 
with  those  who  are  aiding  us.    Indeed,  we  should 
often  ask  the  good  angels  of  those  whom  we  are 
educating,  to  inspire  them  to  do  what  our  words 
frequently  fail  to  effect. 

IX.  Purity  itself  is  the  bond  which  unites  the 
angels  to  men.    There  is  no  intercourse  save  between 
spirit -and  soul.    Consequently,  let  us  love  our  pupils 
as  the  angels  love  them.     Therefore,   let  us  avoid 
every  familiarity,  all  undue  liberty,  and  repress  all 
tendencies  bordering  on  the  sensual. 

Hence,  let  us  fulfill  the  duties  of  our  ministry 
with  constant  fidelity,  despite  any  repugnances  we 
may  feel,  and  our  personal  experience  will  soon  con- 
vince us  that  success  and  consolation  are  ours,  when 
we  labor  with  devoted  ness  and  disinterestedness.  If 
we  act  thus,  then  we  may  justly  say  with  Plautus: 
If  we  have  overcome  our  inclinations  and  have  not 
been  overcome  by  them,  we  have  reason  to  rejoice. 


TEACHING  CHILDREN  IS  DISTASTEFUL.  299 

"Thou  must  be  willing,  for  the  love  of  God,  to 
suffer  all  things,  namely,  labors  and  sorrows,  temp- 
tations and  vexations,  anxieties,  necessities,  sickness, 
injuries,  detractions,  reprehensions,  h1  iliations,  con- 
fusions, corrections,  and  contempts. 

"These  things  help  to  obtain  virtue;  these  try  a 
novice  of  Christ;  these  procure  a  heavenly  crown. "(1) 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  Chapter  XXXV.,  2. 


300    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


SEVENTEENTH  OBJECTION. 

TO  LIVE  WITH  FELLOW-RELIGIOUS  IS  TOO  ANNOYING. 

"Give  me  that  man 

That  is  not  passion's  slave,  and  I  will  wear  him 
In  my  heart's  core,  ay,  in  my  heart  of  heart, 
As  I  do  thee." — Shakespeare. 

Charity  is  patient,  is  kind,  writes  St.  Paul  to  the 
Corinthians.  Charity  envieth  not,  dealeth  not  per- 
versely, is  not  puffed  up,  is  not  ambitious,  seeketh 
not  her  own,  is  not  provoked  to  anger,  thinketh  no 
evil,  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  but  rejoiceth  with  the 
truth :  Beareth  all  things,  believeth  all  things,  hopeth 
all  things,  endureth  all  things.  (*)  But  the  better  to 
comprehend  this  noble  and  magnanimous  teaching,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  there  is  no  man,  whatever 
be  his  rank  or  condition,  so  perfect  as  to  be  free 
from  all  defects.  Perfection  is  only  to  be  found 
in  heaven.  Consequently,  it  were  vain  to  expect  that 
perfection  which  belongs  to  a  nature  and  a  condition 
other  than  human.  Among  men,  the  most  perfect 
are  those  who  have  the  least  defects  or  failings.  In- 
deed, human  perfection,  at  best,  is  mingled  with  many 
miseries  and  imperfections.  Who,  then,  is  to  be 
found  without  some  stain?  Therefore,  brethren,  and 
if  a  man  be  overtaken  in  any  fault,  St.  Paul  coun- 
sels the  Galatians,  you,  who  are  spiritual,  instruct 
such  a  one  in  the  spirit  of  mildness,  considering  thy- 
self, lest  thou  also  be  tempted.  &)  The  great  Apostle 
fully  understood  the  limits  of  our  frail  nature. 

(1)  I.  Cor.,  xiii,  -J-7.     (2)  c.  VI,  1. 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  301 

Now,  "since  no  man  in  this  life,"  remarks  Father 
Saint- Jure,  "is  entirely  perfect,  no  man  without 
something  imperfect  in  body  and  soul,  in  the  order 
of  nature  or  of  grace,  we  ought  to  conclude  that 
there  is  no  one  who  does  not  give  others  something 
to  endure.  To  will  that  it  should  be  otherwise,  that 
man  should  be  more  perfect,  would  be  to  judge  Divine 
Providence  and  resist  His  designs  which  it  is  our  duty 
to  follow  and  not  to  guide.  If  we  wish  to  do  right, 
says  Seneca,  we  ought  to  follow,  with  a  docile  spirit 
and  without  murmur,  God  who  is  the  source  of  all. 
What  pleases  this  sovereign  and  infinite  Wisdom, 
ought  to  please  man." 

And  does  not  charity  demand  that  we  suffer  with 
patience  the  defects  of  our  neighbor?  Is  it  not  a 
truism  that  the  more  we  love  a  person,  the  easier  it 
will  be  to  support  his  defects?  Hence,  it  is  that  St. 
Paul  thus  admonishes  the  Galatians:  Bear  ye  one 
another's  burdens,  and  so  you  shall  fulfill  tlie  law 
of  Christ,  (*)  What  are  these  burdens?  Evidently, 
the  Apostle  implies  the  bad  humor,  the  passions,  the 
unkind  criticisms,  the  antipathy,  the  rude  manners, 
and  the  sins  of  others.  There  is  no  doubt  that  we 
have  to  endure  much  from  our  neighbor,  but  it  is 
equally  true  that  he  has  much  to  suffer  from  our 
failings  and  imperfections.  "To  bear  his  defects 
with  sweet  patience  and  tranquillity,  to  support  his 
coarse,  wearisome  manners,  his  spiritual  and  physical 
imperfections,  by  viewing  all  in  the  order  of  God 
and  in  the  sweetness  of  Christian  charity,"  is  our 
proper  conduct,  but  it  demands  many  sacrifices.  St. 

(1)  c.  vl,  2. 


302    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Paul  fully  realized  this,  when  he  so  strongly  urged 
the  Colossians  to  charity,  that  is,  bearing  with  one 
another,  and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any  have  a 
complaint  against  another:  even  as  the  Lord  hath 
forgiven  you,  so  do  you  also.  But  above  all  things, 
have  charity  which  is  the  bond  of  perfection.  (-^ 

Moreover,  the  example  of  God  who  suffers  with 
wonderful  patience  and  ineffable  sweetness  the  im- 
perfections and  sins  of  men,  ought  most  unquestion- 
ably to  induce  us  to  do  the  same.  If  the  Divine 
Majesty  exercises  such  condescension  toward  poor 
fallen  man,  then  assuredly  ought  we  to  endure  with 
humility  and  long-suffering  the  shortcomings  and 
imperfections  of  our  equals  and  inferiors.  If  we 
have  that  pure,  disinterested  love,  we  will  cheerfully 
bear  with  all.  Our  love  will  then  be  of  that  power 
and  strength,  mentioned  in  the  Canticle  of  Canticles 
in  this  beautiful  and  expressive  language:  Put  me 
as  a  seal  upon  thy  heart,  as  a  seal  upon  thy  arm: 
for  love  is  strong  as  death.  .  Many  waters  can 
not  quench  charity,  neither  can  the  floods  drown  it: 
if  a  man  should  give  all  the  substance  of  his  house 
for  love,  he  shall  despise  it  as  nothing.  (2-> 

But  what  shall  we  say  of  the  conduct  of  our  Lord 
toward  the  Jews?  "What  equanimity  and  patience," 
observes  St.  Cyprian,  "did  not  Jesus  Christ  evince 
in  conversing  with  the  Jews  to  break  the  hardness 
of  the  incredulous  by  earnest  persuasion,  in  order 
to  make  them  embrace  the  truths  He  preached,  to 
surmount  their  ingratitude  by  the  number  of  His 
benefits!  How  sweet  His  answers  to  those  who  con- 

(1)  c.  Hi,  13,  1J,.     (2)  c.  viii,  6,  7. 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  303 

tradicted  Him!  How  patiently  He  endured  the  in- 
solence of  proud  minds,  ceding  humbly  to  His  per- 
secutors! "What  constancy,  until  His  last  breath, 
to  attract  to  Him  those  who  had  massacred  the 
prophets,  and  who  had  always  been  rebellious  to  the 
will  of  God!" 

' '  Though  the  Apostles  were  not  guilty  of  as  great 
crimes  as  Judas,"  remarks  a  writer,  "yet  they  were 
of  base  extraction,  fishermen  for  the  most  part, 
coarsely  reared.  There  were  many  things  in  their 
manners  and  words,  which  from  a  physical  and 
spiritual  point  of  view  were  very  difficult  to  be  borne, 
yet  our  Lord  never  treated  them  harshly  nor  reproved 
them  severely.  He  never  said  a  word  to  them  that 
could  cause  them  any  pain.  He  never  appeared  to 
think  their  conversation  tedious,  their  manners  rude 
and  unpolished,  or  gave  evidence  that  He  experienced 
pain  in  enduring  their  defects.  He  supported  them 
always  with  unalterable  patience  and  sweetness.  He 
spoke  to  them  only  with  kindness  and  considera- 
tion. He  consoled  them  with  the  tenderness  of  a 
mother,  and  admonished  them  of  their  defects  with  the 
greatest  charity.  He  acted  thus  not  only  to  His  Apos- 
tles, but  toward  all  men,  supporting  the  defects  of  all 
with  suavity  and  tenderness." 

Consequently,  if  we  have  to  suffer  from  our  fel- 
low-religious, we  must  not  be  unmindful  that  they, 
too,  have  to  bear  with  our  defects  and  idiosyncrasies. 
Mutual  forbearance  is  the  remedy.  It  is  impossible 
to  avoid  all  unpleasantness  in  our  dealings  with  men, 
for  our  moods  are  ever  varying  and  our  dispositions 
are  subject  to  constant  changes.  "Withal,  we  can 


304   THE  YOUNG   CHRISTIAN   TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

contribute  our  share  to  lessen  this  friction  by  our 
condescension  and  meekness.  Hence,  one  of  the  most 
effective  means  is  not  to  be  too  much  attached  to  our 
own  will  and  opinion,  but  readily  to  yield  when  char- 
ity is  in  danger  of  being  wounded  by  maintaining 
them.  We  never  lose  anything  by  such  conduct,  and 
our  opinions  need  not  necessarily  change  by  our  sub- 
mission. But  we  have  gained  a  decided  victory  over 
ourselves  and  have  undoubtedly  increased  our  merit. 
Therefore,  things  even  useful  and  necessary  ought 
to  be  ceded  for  the  sake  of  peace  and  charity.  To 
aid  us  in  our  honest  endeavors  to  maintain  this  peace 
and  concord,  let  us  often  seriously  reflect  on  these 
sayings  of  Thomas  a  Kempis: 

' '  What  a  man  can  not  amend  in  himself  or  others, 
he  must  bear  with  patience  till  God  ordain  other- 
wise. 

"Think,  that  perhaps  it  is  better  so  for  thy  trial 
and  patience,  without  which  our  merits  are  little 
worth. 

' '  Thou  must  nevertheless,  under  such  impressions, 
earnestly  pray  to  God  that  He  may  vouchsafe  to  help 
thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  bear  them  well. 

"If  any  one,  being  once  or  twice  admonished, 
does  not  comply,  contend  not  with  him,  but  commit 
all  to  God  that  His  will  may  be  done,  and  He  may 
be  honored  in  all  His  servants,  who  knows  how  to 
convert  evil  into  good. 

"Endeavor  to  be  patient  in  supporting  others' 
defects  and  infirmities,  of  what  kind  soever;  because 
thou  also  hast  many  things  which  others  must  bear 
withal. 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  305 

"If  thou  canst  not  make  thyself  such,  a  one  as 
thou  wouldst,  how  canst  thou  expect  to  have  an- 
other according  to  thy  liking? 

' '  We  would  willingly  have  others  perfect,  and  yet 
we  mend  not  our  own  defects. 

"We  would  have  others  strictly  corrected,  but 
we  are  not  willing  to  be  corrected  ourselves. 

"The  large  liberty  of  others  displeases  us,  and 
yet  we  would  not  be  denied  anything  we  ask  for. 

"We  are  willing  that  others  should  be  bound  up 
by  laws,  and  we  suffer  not  ourselves  by  any  means  to 
be  restrained. 

"Thus  it  is  evident  how  seldom  we  weigh  our 
neighbor  in  the  same  balance  with  ourselves. 

"If  all  were  perfect,  what  then  should  we  have 
to  suffer  from  others,  for  God's  sake? 

"But  now  God  has  so  disposed  things  that  we 
may  learn  to  bear  one  another's  burdens;  for  there 
is  no  man  without  defect;  no  man  without  his  bur- 
den; no  man  sufficient  for  himself;  no  man  wise 
enough  for  himself;  but  we  must  support  one  an- 
other, comfort  one  another,  assist,  instruct,  and  ad- 
monish one  another. 

"But  the  measure  of  each  man's  virtue  is  best  seen 
in  adversity.  For  occasions  do  not  make  a  man 
frail,  but  show  what  he  is."  (1) 

Doubtless,  we  are  so  susceptible,  not  through  a 
motive  of  zeal  for  our  neighbor,  but  rather  on  ac- 
count of  our  self-love.  Alas!  an  irritable  and  sel- 
fish love  of  self  is  the  hidden  cause  of  this  bitter 
feeling  toward  our  neighbor.  True  piety  is  meek  and 

(1)    The   Following    of   Christ,    Bk.    I.,    Chapt.    XVI. 
20 


306  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

patient,  because  it  is  aware  of  its  inconstancy.  For 
he  who  feels  his  own  weakness  and  laments  it,  is  not 
easily  annoyed  or  scandalized  by  the  frailty  of  others. 
He  is  cognizant  of  the  fact  that  all  stand  in  need  of 
support,  indulgence,  and  mercy;  therefore,  he  ex- 
cuses, compassionates,  and  pardons,  thus  preserving 
peace  in  his  own  heart  and  charity  with  his  neighbor. 


I. 

PROVIDENTIAL  REASONS  FOR  DIFFERENCES  OF  VIEWS  AND 
DIVERGENCE   OF   CHARACTER. 

That  there  are  differences  of  opinions  among  men, 
nay,  even  among  very  religious  men,  is  beyond  all 
dispute.  God  in  His  infinite  Wisdom  makes  use  of 
these  differences  to  exercise  man  in  the  practice  of 
all  the  virtues.  Hence,  we  find  the  elect  mutually 
aiding  and  reciprocally  assisting  one  another  in  the 
attainment  of  their  personal  sanctification.  Natural- 
ly, by  the  mutual  intercourse  which  must  needs  take 
place,  there  result,  frequently,  annoyances  which, 
though  wholly  unintentional  in  their  cause,  are,  never- 
theless, often  painful.  But  before  all  things,  St.  Peter 
counsels,  have  a  constant  mutual  charity  among  your- 
selves. (1) 

Consequently,  our  Lord  hides  from  one  man  a 
part  of  the  truth;  to  another  He  refuses  comprehen- 
sive views  or  maturity  of  thought ;  He  gives  to  one 
a  lively  disposition  or  a  nervous  temperament;  while 

(1)  I.  St.  Peter,  iv,  8. 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  307 

He  endows  another  with  a  serious,  yet  slow  turn  of 
mind.  Now,  it  is  obvious  from  these  providential 
combinations,  there  must  result  a  clashing  of  thoughts, 
or  an  opposition  of  wills,  which  are,  however,  less 
the  fault  of  man  than  the  imperfections  of  humanity. 
Evidently,  the  object  of  this  great  diversity  of  char- 
acters and  gifts  is  that  all  flesh  may  confess  that  all 
the  glory  and  sanctity  belong  to  God  alone.  Happy 
the  just  man  who  depends  on  nothing  human,  but 
on  God  alone !  For  he  indeed  possesses  a  treasure  of 
which  no  man  can  deprive  him,  and  he  is  free  with 
that  true  liberty  to  which  Jesus  Christ  calls  all  men. 
St.  Paul,  writing  to  the  Corinthians,  admirably  ex- 
presses this  truth,  saying:  Where  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  is,  there  is  liberty.  (1) 

Thus,  contradictions  and  persecutions  impoverish 
and  destroy  the  weak,  but  unfailingly  form  saints.  St. 
Alphonsus  Liguori  died  in  disgrace  with  the  saintly 
and  venerable  Pius  VI.,  who  said  concerning  him:  "If 
he  be  a  saint,  he  is  not  a  saint  in  all  things." 

And,  we  know  from  history  that  St.  John  of  the 
Cross  was  imprisoned  by  the  religious  of  his  own 
order.  But  Rome,  after  his  death,  declared  that  the 
faults  of  which  he  had  been  accused,  were  not  even 
venial,  and  accordingly,  canonized  him.  St.  Alphon- 
sus Liguori  was  placed  upon  the  altars  by  the  suc- 
cessor of  Pius  VI.  To-day  St.  John  of  the  Cross 
and  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori  receive  the  veneration  of 
the  whole  Catholic  Church,  and  both  seem  to  come 
forth  from  the  tomb  to  proclaim  to  the  Christian 
world  these  words  of  St.  James:  Blessed  is  the  man 


(1)  II.  Cor.,  ni,  It. 


308  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

that  endureth  temptation:  for  when  he  hath  been 
proved)  he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life.  (*) 

Therefore,  ever  preserve  the  greatest  charity,  for 
upon  it  depends  domestic  tranquillity,  religious  dis- 
cipline, the  individual  advancement  in  virtue,  and 
the  general  good  of  the  community.  If  the  members 
of  the  religious  community  are  always  mutually  con- 
siderate and  forbearing,  they  will  be  blessed  with 
peace  and  happiness.  What  a  glorious  example  of 
concord  and  unity  they  set  before  the  pupils  and  their 
parents!  "What  a  power  is  theirs  because  of  this 
mutual  support,  and  what  a  powerful  stimulus  to  the 
practice  of  magnanimous  virtue !  Thus  united  in  the 
common  and  mutual  bond  of  charity,  there  will  be 
no  difficulty  in  serving  their  neighbor,  in  advancing 
God's  honor  and  glory,  and  in  attaining  their  own 
perfection.  But  where  this  fraternal  bond  and  union 
do  not  exist,  where  charity  does  not  abide,  life  is  un- 
bearable, a  veritable  torture,  aye,  a  foretaste  of  hell. 

Hence,  knowing  that  differences  of  opinions  and 
diversity  of  character  are  intended  in  God's  inscrut- 
able designs  for  our  sanctification,  let  us  carefully 
avoid  in  word  and  deed,  nay  even  in  thought,  what- 
ever may  offend  or  wound  our  neighbor.  Therefore, 
let  us  always  be  kind  and  affable,  and  ever  docile 
to  our  superiors,  particularly  when  they  admonish, 
counsel,  or  direct  us.  Let  us  be  models  of  that  perfect 
condescension  which  characterizes  the  strong  and 
virtuous  man,  and  let  us  show  ourselves  great,  mag- 
nanimous souls  who  are  ever  ready  to  sacrifice  pleas- 
ure for  our  neighbor 's  welfare  and  happiness. 

(i)  c.  i.  n. 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  309 

II. 
COUNSELS  OF  FATHER  JUDDE  TO  A  YOUNG  TEACHER. 

Among  the  lesser  virtues  so  essential  to  the  young 
Christian  teacher,  civility  and  candor  deserve  special 
cultivation.  Genuine  civility  is  a  great  help  to  char- 
ity. Hence,  an  attentive  study  of  cultured  manners 
is  not  to  be  despised.  Indeed,  it  is  difficult  to  under- 
stand how  a  young  teacher  can  deem  himself  dis- 
pensed therefrom.  Consequently,  beware  of  a  certain 
haste  to  speak,  to  decide,  or  to  contradict.  There  are 
many  things  of  which  you  are  still  ignorant,  owing  to 
your  youth  and  inexperience.  Again,  even  if  you 
have  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  many  sub- 
jects, there  are  unquestionably  many  others  which  you 
know  but  imperfectly,  and,  therefore,  you  should 
learn  them  before  venturing  to  teach.  Youth  should 
be  modest,  timid  rather  than  bold.  You  are  not  an 
angel,  neither  shall  you  have  to  live  with  angels; 
hence  know  that  you  have  faults  like  other  men.  Con- 
sequently, mould  your  conduct  on  that  of  your  worthy 
brethren,  rather  than  wish  to  force  them  to  imitate 
you.  Above  all,  never  undertake  to  reform  others, 
for  you  will  never  succeed ;  but  labor  earnestly  to  re- 
form yourself,  because  in  this  reformation  you  may, 
at  least,  attain  success.  Moreover,  do  not  lose  sight  of 
this  important  principle  of  conduct:  never  interfere 
in  other  people's  business,  even  when  you  imagine, 
rightly  or  wrongly,  that  they  are  meddling  with  your 
concerns.  Therefore,  be  not  curious  to  know  all  that 
transpires,  but  strive  to  live  in  the  house  without  seek- 
ing to  attract  attention  and  without  bustling.  Be 


310  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

neither  a  suspicious  nor  a  doubting  character ;  beware 
of  carrying  tales  about  this  one  or  that  one  to  those 
whom  you  call  your  friends  and  confidants.  Be  par- 
ticularly slow  to  credit  gossip.  It  is  advisable  even 
to  distrust  your  own  judgment  on  certain  occasions, 
for  if  you  put  faith  in  mere  conjectures,  you  are  apt 
to  lose  your  peace  of  mind  and  conscience. 

Consequently,  let  your  conduct  be  uniform,  af- 
fable, and  mild.  Never  evince  a  marked  preference 
for  any  one,  and  never  give  any  one  cause  to  think 
that  you  esteem  him  but  little,  or  that  you  would  not 
be  ever  ready  to  tender  him  a  service.  Never  indulge 
in  raillery  or  in  cynical  criticism. 

Moreover,  never  be  wanting  in  the  respect  due  to 
old  age.  If  God  should  grant  you  length  of  years, 
you  will  then  know  to  your  own  cost,  how  keenly  an 
old  man  feels  the  lack  of  attention  in  which  young 
persons  are  so  often  apt  to  indulge.  Besides,  God  in 
His  justice  would  then  oblige  you  to  pay  a  hundred- 
fold for  faults  of  a  like  nature  committed  in  your 
youth. 

Again,  do  not  despise  the  company,  or  the  con- 
versation of  those  advanced  in  years.  If  they  are 
sick,  visit  them  often;  speak  to  them  kindly  and 
with  respect  and  confidence,  and  be  glad  to  render 
them  any  little  service  in  your  power.  Thus  you  will 
be  performing  a  great  act  of  charity  and  one  very 
acceptable  to  God. 

And  as  to  your  intercourse  with  your  equals,  let 
true  politeness  and  real  charity  govern  all  your  words 
and  acts.  There  is 'nothing  more  conducive  to  har- 
mony than  a  perfect  understanding  with  all  your 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  311 

brethren.  Make  it  a  principle  never  to  speak  ill  of 
any  of  them,  seeking  always  to  hide  rather  than  to 
expose  their  failings,  especially  in  the  presence  of 
pupils.  No  pupil  will  ever  dare  speak  harshly  or 
disrespectfully  of  your  fellow-religious,  if  he  is  aware 
that  you  are  in  perfect  sympathy  with  him,  and  that 
you  will  resent  any  insult  to  your  colleague, 
even  with  greater  promptness  and  severity  than  if  it 
had  been  offered  to  yourself.  And  should  God  have 
endowed  you  with  a  mind  superior  to  that  of  your 
companion,  be  all  the  more  modest,  humble,  and  con- 
siderate on  that  account,  for  he,  perhaps,  already  feels 
his  inferiority  without  your  accentuating  it.  But  if, 
on  the  contrary,  you  are  inferior  to  him  in  mental 
endowments,  repress  all  jealousy  and  strive  to  attain 
his  level  by  persevering  study,  serious  meditation, 
and  fervent  prayer.  This  is  the  only  emulation  sanc- 
tioned by  fraternal  charity. 

To  these  counsels,  I  should  perhaps  add  a  few  ob- 
servations concerning  the  outward  conduct  of  the 
Christian  teacher  as  well  as  the  thousand  and  one 
little  precautions  of  refined  manners,  he  should  ob- 
serve in  his  relations  toward  the  pupils  and  parents. 
Now,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  outward  forms 
of  manners  and  conduct  have  a  great  influence  on 
the  intercourse  of  man  with  man.  The  world  rarely 
pauses  to  examine  the  real  worth  of  the  individual. 
It  is  pleased  with  him  who  seems  to  possess  the  re- 
quisite polish  and  culture  of  a  refined  education. 

Evidently,  this  is  correct  up  to  a  certain  point. 
It  is  a  natural  consequence  of  the  weakness  of  our 
minds.  Imagine  for  a  moment  how  exceedingly  em- 


312  THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

barrassing  it  would  be  if  we  could  not  enter  into  rela- 
tions with  a  man,  until  we  had  first  been  able  to 
judge  his  inmost  soul!  Daily  life,  under  such  con- 
ditions, would  simply  become  an  impossibility.  The 
consequence  is  that  we  are  often  obliged  to  content 
ourselves  with  mere  external  forms  of  conduct,  and 
take  it  for  granted  that  the  words  and  actions  of  a 
man  are  a  true  index  of  his  feelings.  If  this  be 
deemed  essential  in  regard  to  persons  of  mature  age 
and  sound  judgment,  then  it  becomes  doubly  neces- 
sary when  the  teacher  is  before  young  and  imitative 
children.  Therefore,  the  young  Christian  teacher  can 
not  be  too  prudent  in  his  right  conduct. 

But  I  shall  not  attempt  to  enter  into  minute  de- 
tails, for  it  is  impossible  to  formulate  general  laws 
which  would  be  applicable  in  all  cases.  Indeed,  no 
code  of  laws  can  be  established  for  an  art  which 
depends,  in  a  great  measure,  on  the  natural  apti- 
tudes and  constitution  of  the  individual  teacher. 
Thus,  a  teacher  endowed  with  an  impetuous  temper- 
ament, must  take  refuge  in  a  cold,  impassable  re- 
serve, if  he  wish  to  be  successful  and  avoid  defects 
consequent  upon  such  a  temperament.  Now,  this 
impassiveness  might  be  a  fault  in  another  teacher, 
and  hence  would  be  altogether  unsuitable  and  im- 
practicable. 

Again,  here  is  a  teacher  who  naturally  preserves 
his  dignity  even  under  strong  emotions.  These  are 
only  observable  in  his  tone  of  voice  or  facial  expres- 
sions, and  he  possesses  the  power  of  controlling  and 
intimidating.  Such  a  teacher  always  speaks  with 
authority,  and  his  orders  are  readily,  respectfully 
obeyed. 


RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IS  TOO  ANNOYING.  313 

Furthermore,  there  are  others  whose  very  words 
command  attention  and  bespeak  great  tenderness.  In 
listening  to  such  a  teacher,  the  children  are  invariably 
moved.  These  teachers  control  their  pupils  by  the 
gentle  art  of  persuasion  and  by  friendship.  There 
are,  however,  characters  who  always  appear  vulgar 
whenever  they  attempt  the  guise  of  friendliness. 
Now,  unless  they  wish  to  forfeit  the  respect  of  their 
pupils,  they  should  not  wish  to  appear  good  and 
kind,  but  must  be  content  to  show  themselves  ever 
just. 

Moreover,  the  different  shades  of  character  are 
almost  infinite.  Hence,  the  knowledge  of  ourselves, 
aided  by  the  wise  counsels  of  a  superior  or  a  prudent 
friend,  can  alone  be  our  guide  in  this  difficult  art  of 
teaching  and  the  proper  external  conduct  of  life.  All 
that  I  can  say  is,  do  not  natter  yourself  by  attributing 
anything  to  yourself,  which  you  do  not  possess.  An 
error  of  this  kind  would  expose  you  to  adopt  an  af- 
fected outward  behavior,  which  would  not  escape  the 
quick  wit  of  your  pupils,  who  would  consequently 
regard  you  as  nothing  better  than  a  fop.  It  is  always 
wise  and  prudent  to  regulate  your  conduct  in  con- 
sonance with  the  admirable  rules  of  modesty. 

Hence  think  well  on  the  truth  contained  in  these 
pregnant  words  of  Seneca :  Live  with  men,  as  if  God 
saw  you ;  converse  with  God,  as  if  men  heard  you. 


314    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 


EIGHTEENTH  OBJECTION. 

TEACHING   IS   THE   CAUSE    OF    MANY   DISTRACTIONS   AND 
NUMEROUS   FAULTS. 

"More  bitter  far  than  all 
It  was  to  know  that   Love   could   change   and   die ! — 

Hush !  for  the  ages  call, 
'The  Love  of  God  lives  through  eternity, 
And  conquers  all!'" — Adelaide  Proctor, 

"God  would  have  you  wise,"  writes  Fenelon  in 
one  of  his  Letters,  "not  with  your  own  wisdom,  but 
with  His.  He  will  make  you  wise,  not  by  causing 
you  to  make  many  reflections,  but  on  the  contrary  by 
destroying  all  the  unquiet  reflections  of  your  false 
wisdom.  When  you  shall  no  longer  act  from  natural 
vivacity  you  will  be  wise  without  your  wisdom.  The 
movements  of  grace  are  simple,  ingenuous,  childlike. 
Impetuous  nature  thinks  much  and  speaks  much. 
Grace  thinks  little  and  says  little,  because  it  is  simple, 
peaceable,  and  inwardly  collected."  Thus  the  ways 
of  grace  are  inward,  but  the  ways  of  nature  are  ever 
outward. 

Now,  if  we  could  conquer  our  human  spirit  which 
unfortunately  controls  so  many  of  our  actions,  we 
would  not  murmur  for  the  purpose  of  shielding  oar 
deficiencies.  The  agency  of  this  destructive  spirit 
creeps  into  all  our  works.  It  deteriorates  their 
purity  of  intention  and  saps  their  strength.  "Or  it 
comes,"  remarks  Father  Faber,  "upon  good  and 
single-minded  intentions,  and  warps  them  from  their 


THE  CAUSE  OF  NUMEROUS  FAULTS.  315 

direction,  and  makes  them  useless  for  any  super- 
natural purpose. ' '  And  elsewhere  he  tells  us  that ' '  an- 
other mark  of  the  human  spirit  is  to  be  found  in  the 
self-annoyance  or  disgust  which  arises  in  us  at  the 
view  of  our  own  faults.  It  casts  us  down  also  because 
of  the  effects  of  our  good  works  or  the  ill  success  of 

earnest  efforts There  is  an  obstinate 

attachment  to  devotional  practices,  because  we  fancy 
they  have  done  us  good,  which  looks  like  supernatural 
perseverance,  and  yet  it  is  in  truth  nothing  but  the 
pertinacity  of  the  human  spirit. ' ' 

This  characterization  seems  directed  against  our 
objector,  and  we  may  say  that  it  strikes  at  the  very 
root  of  the  evil.  There  is  no  doubt,  that  the  human 
spirit  is  doing  effective  work.  In  our  false  wisdom, 
we  see  the  truth  but  dimly,  because  we  allow  ourselves 
to  be  distracted  by  the  duties  of  our  active  ministry. 
If  we  acted  with  the  true  spirit,  we  would  not  be  so 
faint-hearted.  For  "the  ministry  of  teaching,"  says 
Rodriguez,  "which  at  first  appears  to  detach  us  from 
God,  has,  when  exercised  with  a  properly  regulated 
zeal,  the  very  opposite  effect,  for  it  unites  us  more  in- 
timately with  Him."  The  spirit  of  grace  will 
strengthen  us  to  overcome  all  obstacles,  if  we  do  not 
hinder  its  action.  Thus  will  our  ministry  of  teaching 
conduce  towards  our  interior  recollection  rather  than 
invite  distraction. 

Consequently,  our  labor  for  the  spiritual  advance- 
ment of  our  pupils  will  turn  to  our  advantage  instead 
of  doing  us  harm.  It  will  undoubtedly  favor  our 
progress  in  virtue  and  perfection.  "For  the  more 
water  that  is  taken  from  a.  well,"  says  Clement  of 


316    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Alexandria,  "the  more  limpid  and  wholesome  the 
water  becomes ;  whereas-  if  no  water  were  drawn  there- 
from, it  would  soon  become  stagnant,  if  not  poison- 
ous. And  if  a  knife  be  in  constant  use,  it  remains 
bright  and  polished,  but  if  neglected  and  put  aside, 
it  would  become  rusty  and  worthless.  A  flame  of  fire 
grows  in  extent  and  intensity  and  loses  nothing  there- 
by. ' '  Moreover,  ' '  the  best  means  of  instructing  one 's 
self,"  he  also  affirms,  "is  to  instruct  others.  For  the 
most  certain  progress  in  the  science  which  we  culti- 
vate results  from  teaching  it."  The  same  principle 
is  applicable  to  spiritual  things. 

The  word  of  God  is  a  two-edged  sword.  It  strikes 
him  who  uses  it  as  well  as  him  against  whom  it  is 
directed.  Now,  what  we  have  to  say  to  others  is  often 
applicable  to  ourselves,  and  perhaps  more  so  than 
to  any  one  else.  Thus  if  our  conduct  do  not  corre- 
spond to  our  teaching,  we  immediately  hear  a  warning 
voice  from  our  interior  monitor,  proclaiming :  Woe  to 
him  who  teaches  what  he  does  not  practise!  For 
truthfully  speaks  the  poet  when  he  counsels  to 

"Take  thy  balance,  if  them  be  so  wise, 
And  weigh  the  wind  that  under  heaven  doth  blow ; 
Or  weigh  the  light  that  in  the  Bast  doth  rise ; 
Or  weigh  the  thought  that  from  man's  mind  doth  flow." 

Hence,  it  is  evident  that  when  we  fulfill  the  duties 
of  our  ministry  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  grace 
and  its  dictates,  teaching,  far  from  being  an  occasion 
of  relaxation  or  distraction,  contributes  powerfully 
to  our  sanctification.  It  emulates  us  to  the  attain- 
ment of  our  perfection  that  we  may  be  better  pre- 
pared to  sanctify  others  by  leading  them  to  God. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  NUMEROUS  FAULTS.  317 

Besides,  let  us  recall  the  numberless  graces  which 
God  showers  down  upon  those  who  teach  others  unto 
righteousness.  If  the  Lord  has  promised  a  splendid 
reward  to  those  who  practise  the  corporal  works  of 
mercy,  with  what  liberality  will  He  not  crown  those 
who  devote  themselves  to  the  spiritual  works  of  mer- 
cy! These  latter  works  are  as  far  above  the  former 
as  the  soul  is  superior  to  the  body. 

Hence,  according  to  St.  John  Chrysostom,  it  is  to 
them  that  these  words  of  the  Gospel  may  be  applied : 
Give  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you.  <1>  And  St. 
Peter  Chrysologus  affirms  that  the  pastors  of  souls 
and  the  apostles  of  youth  are  like  the  nurses  appointed 
to  the  children  of  kings.  "The  nurses  of  infant 
princes,"  he  says,  "are  nourished  with  the  most  deli- 
cate meats,  that  their  milk  may  be  of  the  best  quality. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  King  of  kings  takes  care  that  those 
who  are  charged  with  the  education  of  youth,  be 
nourished  with  the  choicest  meats  from  His  table,  that 
they  may  be  better  qualified  to  give  to  His  children 
the  milk  of  sound  and  wholesome  doctrine." 

Consequently,  we  should  ever  keep  this  consoling 
thought  in  view,  God  has  made  teaching  our  princi- 
pal means  of  sanctification,  one  of  the  special  objects 
of  our  vocation.  In  other  religious  orders  or  congre- 
gations, perfection  consists  in  the  strict  cloistral  ob- 
servances, or  in  the  attentive  and  assiduous  chanting 
of  the  divine  office,  or  in  contemplative  exercises,  or 
else  in  austerities  peculiar  to  their  order,  or  perhapa 
in  the  active  united  to  the  contemplative  life.  Ours 
is  both  active  and  contemplative,  and  our  perfection  is 

(1)  St.  Luke,  c,  vi,  38. 


318    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

to  be  attained  in  fidelity  to  the  diverse  works  of  char- 
ity assigned  us  by  obedience.  If  this  be  our  practice 
or  proper  conduct,  we  may  then  say  to  the  children 
what  St.  Paul  said  to  the  Thessalonians :  You  are  our 
glory  and  our  joy;  t1*  or  to  the  Philippians :  You  are 
my  joy  and  my  crown.  W) 

Our  happiness  and  perfection  consist  essentially 
in  strict  fidelity  in  educating  youth  in  a  Christian 
manner.  Having  that  deeply  impressed  on  our  minds, 
we  should  view  the  spirit  of  retirement  as  nothing 
more  than  a  temptation,  designed  by  the  tempter  to 
turn  us  from  the  duties  we  owe  to  our  neighbor. 

And  as  to  the  faults  which  are  consequent  on 
human  frailty,  we  will  address  the  teacher  in  the 
words  of  Father  Segneri:  "Young  teacher,  if  you 
feel  inclined  to  discouragement  at  the  thought  of 
the  faults  you  commit  in  your  ministry,  often  meditate 
on  these  consoling  words  of  St.  James:  He  who 
causeth  a  sinner  to  J)e  converted  from  the  error  of  li  is 
way,  shall  save  his  soul  from  death,  and  shall  cover 
a  multitude  of  sins.  <s)  Probably,  there  shall  be  no 
sinners  in  your  class  to  be  converted,  although  such 
a  thing  is  possible,  but  consider  the  number  of  sins 
you  can  prevent  by  your  strict  supervision,  without 
taking  into  account  the  instructions  you  give  them 
or  the  prayers  you  say  for  them.  Undoubtedly,  the 
great  charity  you  evince  toAvard  your  pupils  will 
cover  a  multitude  of  faults,  inasmuch  as  it  will 
spare  you  much  suffering  in  purgatory.  ,t  . 

You  will,  at  least,  not  have  to  dread,  as  a  consequence 
of  such  faults  committed  in  your  ministry,  certain 

(1)  I.  Thess.,  il,  20.     (2)  c.  iv,  1.     (S)  c.  v,  20. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  NUMEROUS  FAULTS.  319 

punishments  which  God  often  inflicts  in  the  spiritual 
life,  and  which  are  certainly  much  to  be  dreaded." 

Hence,  let  us  be  renewed  in  courage,  being  con- 
fident that  God  will  bless  our  purity  of  intention  and 
enlightened  zeal,  and  remember  that  His  judgments 
are  more  merciful  than  those  of  men.  Let  us  do  what 
we  can,  nobly  and  generously,  and  God  will  ask  no 
more.  Impossibilities  we  can  not  accomplish,  but  we 
can  render  Him  a  just  and  reasonable  service.  We 
should  banish,  therefore,  this  human  spirit,  the  enemy 
and  destroyer  of  good,  which  has  caused  us  such  un- 
easiness of  mind,  and  we  may  rest  assured,  that  our 
ministry  will  be  conducive  to  our  perfection,  if  we 
listen  to  the  spirit  of  grace  and  heed  its  dictates. 

And  ' '  to  close  our  hearts  forever  against  the  temp- 
tation which  leads  us  to  think  that  we  imperil  our 
salvation  by  serving  our  neighbor,  and  to  reassure  the 
most  scrupulous  and  timid  hearts,"  says  Rodriguez, 
"pre-suppose  what  is  in  reality  a  self-evident  and 
most  important  truth.  It  is  that  in  whatever  posi- 
tion it  has  pleased  God  to  place  us,  there  our  salva- 
tion is  more  certain  than  in  any  other,  no  matter  how 
tempting  it  may  appear.  Consequently,  no  matter 
where  or  what  obedience  may  assign  us,  provided  we 
be  animated  with  true  zeal  and  exercise  our  ministry 
with  prudence,  we  are  in  greater  safety,  than  if  to 
escape  the  danger  inherent  in  our  duties,  we  were  to 
bury  ourselves  in  the  deepest  solitude  and  retreat.  If 
we  are  where  God  wishes  us  to  be,  then  we  are  under 
His  direct  protection,  according  to  the  words  of  the 
Psalmist:  0  Lord,  Thou  hast  crowned  us,  as  with 
a  shield  of  Thy  good  will.  (V 

(1)  Ps.,  v,  13. 


320    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"Oh!  great  is  the  error  of  the  Christian  teacher 
who,  taking  counsel  only  with  himself,  and  being  dis- 
gusted with  his  ministry,  presumes  that  he  would 
accomplish  more  for  God's  honor  and  glory  and  his 
own  salvation  in  a  position  other  than  that  which 
obedience  assigned  him !  Would  to  heaven,  that  mel- 
ancholy experience  had  not  taught  us  the  unhappy 
consequences  of  such  conduct!  ....  We 
should  have  a  great  dread  of  entertaining  the  slightest 
desire  and  ever  be  on  our  guard  against  our  likes  and 
dislikes  for  this  or  that  position  and  function.  All 
that  we  have  to  do  is  to  divest  ourselves  of  our  own 
will,  of  that  human  spirit,  and  conform  ourselves  to 
God's  will,  as  expressed  in  our  superior's  command. 
No  road  is  so  safe  for  us  as  that  of  obedience.  We 
must  needs  be  thoroughly  convinced  that  nowhere 
shall  we  be  so  certain  of  working  out  our  salvation  as 
where  the  Divine  will  shall  have  placed  us." 


I. 

ST.  AUGUSTINE  AND  ST.  IGNATIUS  ON  THE  DANGERS  IN- 
CURRED IN  THE  SERVICE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR. 

St.  Augustine,  when  exercising  the  functions  of 
his  arduous  ministry,  experienced  occasionally  some 
very  depressing  thoughts  concerning  his  own  salva- 
tion. When  assailed  by  these  distressing  doubts,  he 
writes,  I  was  tempted  to  seek  refuge  in  solitude.  Be- 
ing terrified  at  the  sight  of  my  sins  and  oppressed  by 
the  weight  of  my  many  miseries,  the  idea  of  retreat 


THE   CAUSE  OF  NUMEROUS  FAULTS.  321 

entered  my  mind,  b~ut  this  thought  arrested  me :  "  Je- 
sus Christ  died  for  all,  that  those  who  live,  may  live 
no  longer  for  themselves,  but  for  Him  who  died  for 
them,  and  rose  again  from  the  dead. ' '  Then  I  said  to 
God :  "I  place  all  my  interests  in  Thy  hands ;  Thou 
knowest  my  incapacity  and  my  weakness.  Deign,  0 
Lord,  to  instruct  me  and  to  heal  me ! ' ' 

St.  Ignatius  of  Loyola  was  accustomed  to  say  that 
even  if  he  were  certain  that  in  dying  then  he  would 
infallibly  save  his  sou£  he  would  prefer  to  risk  his 
salvation  by  remaining  on  earth  that  he  might  gain 
souls  for  Christ. 

Some  one  having  observed  to  him  that  it  was  not 
prudent  to  risk  his  own  soul  in  order  to  save  that  of 
his  neighbor,  he  replied  with  that  ardent  zeal  which 
is  only  inspired  by  strong,  robust  faith:  "Do  you 
think  that  God  is  a  tyrant  ?  If  I  put  myself  in  danger 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  gaining  souls  for  Him,  think 
you  that  He  would  afterwards  send  me  to  hell?" 
Fear  not,  said  Josue  to  the  chiefs  of  the  army,  neither 
be  ye  discouraged;  take  courage,  ~be  strong,  f*) 
Imagine  that  God  is  addressing  these  words  to  you, 
and  march  ever  forward  with  a  heart  filled  with  a 
firm  confidence  and  holy  intrepidity.  It  is  Thou,  0 
Lord,  who  hast  ordained  that  I  teach  youth  the  way 
of  Thy  justice:  by  devoting  myself  to  this  work,  in 
accordance  with  my  rule  and  in  obedience  to  Thy 
commands,  what  need  I  fear  ? 

(1)  c.  x.  25. 


21 


322    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

II. 

EDUCATION  CONFERS  A  MUTUAL  BENEFIT  ON  BOTH  PUPIL 
AND  TEACHER. 

There  is  no  doubt,  that  if  we  exercise  the  functions 
of  our  ministry  in  the  proper  spirit,  the  education  of 
youth,  instead  of  being  to  us  an  occasion  of  commit- 
ting faults,  will  prove  one  of  the  most  powerful  means 
of  forming  our  own  character.  Bishop  Dupanloup 
expressed  himself  very  clearly  on  this  subject,  thus : 
"How  often  have  I  not  seen  this  fact  fully  verified! 
Personally,  the  little  I  know,  if  that  little  can  be 
called  something,  I  owe  to  God's  goodness  and  to  the 
care  I  took  in  preparing  my  catechetical  instructions 
for  the  children,  and  then  in  directing  their  educa- 
tion. 

"Now  when  we  reflect  on  it,  this  is  readily  under- 
stood. Thus,  these  children  of  the  age  of  twelve, 
either  more  or  less,  were  an  admirable  subject  of  study, 
thought,  and  hence  conducive  to  the  moral  and  intel- 
lectual development  of  those  who  devoted  themselves 
to  this  beautiful  work  with  assiduity  and  love.  How 
would  it  be  possible  for  me  not  to  love  little  children  f 
To  them  do  I  owe  all  that  God  has  done  for  me!  This 
was  the  language  of  the  best  catechist  of  the  French 
Church,  M.  Borderies,  who  was  seventy  years  of  age 
when  he  uttered  it.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was 
Bishop  of  Versailles. 

"However  in  mentioning  this  conversation,  I 
merely  desired  to  point  out  the  reason  of  the  real 
secret  for  this  enthusiastic  feeling,  which  is  experi- 


THE  CAUSE  OF  NUMEROUS  FAULTS.  323 

enced  in  devotion  to  duty  and  love  for  children. 
I  ask  no  more,  for  possessing  these  excellent  quali- 
ties, you  will  succeed  admirably.  But  if  these  be  want- 
ing, you  will  accomplish  nothing.  Your  own  good 
sense  will  perceive  the  correctness  of  my  statement. 

"Indeed,  your  whole  soul  must  enter  into  your 
work:  your  intellect,  your  heart,  all  your  powers 
and  faculties,  nay,  your  very  existence.  Do  not, 
therefore,  weaken  your  powers  by  dividing  your  af- 
fections. Consequently,  do  not  view  your  duty  as  a 
means  of  diversion,  or  as  a  kind  of  pastime. 

"Hence,  give  me  a  man,  even  a  young,  or  a  very 
youthful  professor,  but  who  applies  himself  with  all 
due  diligence  and  assiduity  to  his  duty,  who  throws 
himself,  body  and  soul,  into  his  work,  who  makes  the 
fulfillment  of  duties  the  sole  business  of  his  life,  and 
I  shall  not  fear  to  affirm  that  such  constant  application 
to  the  most  elementary  branches  of  education,  this  un- 
swerving devotedness  to  the  humblest  functions,  will 
make  of  him  a  superior  man  in  character  and  in 
the  specialty  he  professes. 

"I  know  of  no  ministry  more  powerful,  more 
fruitful  for  educating  one's  self  than  the  ministry 
of  teaching.  I  am  not  aware  of  any  calling  so  emi- 
nently calculated  for  forming  eminent  men,  as  that 
of  a  professorship,  or  that  of  a  catechist. ' ' 

Therefore,  let  us  fulfill  our  duties  with  zeal,  de- 
votedness, and  a  spirit  of  faith.  Let  us  strive  to  avoid 
or  overcome  the  faults  to  which  we  are  naturally  in- 
clined. If  we  act  thus,  our  ministry  of  teaching,  in- 
stead of  being  a  danger  to  our  salvation,  or  an  obstacle 
to  our  personal  perfection,  will  become  for  us  a  power- 


324    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

ful  means  of  attaining  our  own  sanetification  as  well 
as  procuring  our  neighbor's  salvation. 

St.  Peter  has  these  encouraging  words :  Labor  the 
more,  that  by  good  work  you  may  make  sure  your 
calling  and  election.  For  doing  these  things,  you 
shall  not  sin  at  any  time.  (*•) 

For  so  an  entrance  shall  be  ministered  to  you 
abundantly  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  JESUS  CHRIST.  <*> 

And  St.  Paul  admonishes  Timothy,  saying:  Take 
heed  to  thyself,  and  to  doctrine:  be  earnest  in  them. 
For  in  doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself  and 
them  that  hear  thee.  <s> 

Hence,  this  counsel  of  Terence  is  applicable  to 
the  young  teacher :  We  should  look  at  the  lives  of  all 
as  at  a  mirror,  and  take  others  an  example  for  our- 
selves. 

And  "If  I  am  left  to  myself,  behold  I  am  nothing, 
and  all  weakness ;  but  if  Thou  shouldst  graciously  look 
upon  me,  I  presently  become  strong,  and  am  filled 
with  a  new  joy. 

"And  it  is  very  wonderful  that  I  am  so  quick- 
ly raised  up,  and  so  graciously  embraced  by  Thee;  I, 
who  by  my  own  weight,  am  always  sinking  to  the 
bottom.  "(*) 


(1)  II.  St.  Peter,  i,  10.     (2)  Ibid.,  11.     (S)  I.  Tim.,  iv,  16. 
(4J  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  Chapter  VIII.,  1. 


TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE.      325 


NINETEENTH  OBJECTION. 

TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE :    IT  IS  WEARISOME. 

"Consider 
The    sparrows   of   the   air   of   small   account : 

Our   God  doth  view 
Whether  they  fall  or  mount, 

He  guards  us  too." — Christina  Rosetti. 

If  teaching  be  considered  arduous,  we  must  ac- 
knowledge that  it  has  also  its  moments  of  monotony 
and  wearisomeness.  But  this  is  equally  true  of  all  pro- 
fessions and  avocations.  Hence,  there  is  perhaps 
no  better  test  of  our  character  than  perseverance  in 
our  daily  routine  duties,  despite  all  these  feelings  of 
disgust.  Unless  our  will  be  well  educated,  we  can  not 
claim  to  have  character,  and  failure  and  weariness 
are  the  certain  result.  Indeed,  we  even  get  weary  of 
pleasures.  Our  happiness  apparently  depends  upon 
constant  changes.  Novelties  are  always  attractive, 
because  they  are  out  of  the  ordinary  rut.  When 
we  have  exhausted  all  our  resources,  we  begin  the 
rounds  again,  ever  hoping  for  something  new  and 
startling.  But  soon  we  find  out  that  there  is  nothing 
new  under  the  sun,  and  thus  we  are  compelled  to  re- 
sume the  old.  Nevertheless,  we  have  gained  nothing 
in  all  our  ramblings.  We  are,  however,  constrained  to 
acknowledge  that  our  old  haunts  possess  all  the  at- 
tractions we  had  looked  for  elsewhere,  but  that  we 
failed  to  appreciate  them.  Hence,  after  much  loss 
of  time  and  waste  of  energy,  experience  teaches  that 


326    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

our  holy  ministry  is  the  one  best  adapted  to  our  tal- 
ents and  ability,  the  one  in  which  we  can  accomplish 
the  greatest  good. 

Consequently,  the  Christian  teacher  who  alleges 
that  teaching  has  ceased  to  be  a  pleasure  to  him, 
declares  thereby  his  inconstancy  and  fickleness.  He 
is  afflicted  with  a  spiritual  malady.  According  to 
Father  Faber  this  might  be  styled  spiritual  idleness. 
For  idleness  is  so  natural,  "that  very  idle  men  plead 
its  very  naturalness  as  a  proof  that  it  is  almost  ir- 
resistible. No  man  does  hard  work  naturally.  Idle- 
ness of  its  own  nature  is  sweet,  sweeter  than  the 
brightest  gift  the  gay  world  can  give." 

Now,  if  perseverance  is  among  the  most  precious 
of  graces,  then  this  spiritual  idleness  may  be  consid- 
ered one  of  the  chief  vices  which  beset  the  Christian 
teacher  in  his  ministry.  It  requires  no  deep  philoso- 
phy to  understand  that  spiritual  idleness  is  the  con- 
tradictory of  perseverance.  Hence,  when  the  objec- 
tion is  carefully  analyzed,  we  will  readily  perceive 
that  spiritual  idleness  is  its  cankerworm.  What  then 
are  the  symptoms  by  which  it  may  be  recognized? 
These  are  dissipation,  sadness  and  low  spirits,  gen- 
eral languor,  useless  industry,  a  general  indifference 
about  the  use  of  our  time,  and  loquacity.  It  will, 
therefore,  not  be  altogether  unprofitable  to  study  some 
of  the  symptoms  of  this  most  enervating  spiritual 
malady.  Father  Faber  will  be  our  guide  while  mak- 
ing the  analysis. 

Let  us  then  succinctly  see  in  what  dissipation  con- 
sists Apparently,  it  is  only  remotely  connected  with 
this  spiritual  malady.  But  upon  closer  inspection, 


TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE.  327 

we  notice  that  dissipation  is  the  tendency  to  defer 
matters  or  duties  beyond  their  proper  times  or  pre-1 
scribed  limits.  "We  are  apt  to  delay  one  duty  so  that 
it  interferes  with  another.  ' '  All  duties, ' '  observes  our 
guide,  "are  felt  irksome  obligations,  a  yoke  beneath 
which  we  fret  and  lose  peace."  The  consequence 
is  that  our  duty  is  performed  hurriedly,  without 
considering  how  it  should  be  accomplished,  but  mere- 
ly that  it  is  done.  Whereas  the  proper  method  would 
be  to  do  each  day  at  the  prescribed  time,  persevering- 
ly,  and  with  our  mind  turned  to  God.  The  Christian 
teacher  who  conscientiously  adheres  to  his  daily  reg- 
ulation, will  look  upon  each  duty  as  it  comes  as  the 
one  ordained,  and  hence  he  will  fulfill  it  faithfully. 
He  is  never  unoccupied,  consequently  he  is  happy.  He 
is,  therefore,  never  weary,  and  one  duty  relieves 
the  other  at  stated  intervals,  thus  his  ministry  is 
always  interesting  and  pleasant.  Hence,  he  finds 
nothing  monotonous  in  teaching,  whereas  the  teach- 
er who  is  given  to  dissipation,  becomes  naturally  dis- 
couraged and  sad. 

This  leads  us  to  the  consideration  of  sadness  and 
low  spirits.  The  precipitation  with  which  the  Chris- 
tian teacher  accomplishes  his  functions,  involves  him 
in  many  difficulties.  "First  comes  self-dissatisfac- 
tion. Then  captiousness  and  self-defense,  after 
which  we  feel  that  the  power  to  pray  is  gone  from 
us,  as  our  strength  goes  from  us  in  an  illness.  These 
are  followed  by  positive  ill-temper,  in  an  hour  of 
which  we  lose  weeks  of  struggle  and  progress.  With 
this  is  coupled  a  morbid  inclination  to  judge  and 
criticize  others."  The  natural  consequence  of  these 


328    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

failings  is  sadness  and  low  spirits.  Father  Faber 
is  correct  when  he  affirms  that  the  soul  of  sadness  is 
self-love.  Why  are  we  sad?  Is  it  not  because  we 
have  become  weary  of  well-doing?  "We  desire  to 
be  praised,"  whispers  our  guide,  "and  are  unhappy 
if  no  notice  is  taken  of  what  we  do.  We  seek  pub- 
licity as  something  which  will  console,  rest,  and 
satisfy  us.  ...  The  world  is  our  sunbeam  and 
we  come  out  to  bask  in  it." 

There  is  perhaps  nothing  more  destructive  to  the 
real  interest  of  our  ministry  than  this  sadness.  It 
makes  us  timid  and  passive  where  we  should  be  bold 
and  active.  This  is  the  time  that  we  ought  to  be  all 
zeal  and  energy.  If  we  give  way  to  this  sluggish 
feeling,  we  are  apt  to  waste  valuable  time  in  building 
castles  in  the  air.  Truly,  we  are  encouraging  this 
spiritual  idleness,  because  we  are  doing  no  positive 
good.  But  ' '  we  must  be  all  the  more  faithful  because 
we  are  sad;  and  we  must  beware  of  adopting  any 
change  while  the  cloud  is  upon  us.  Exactness  in  lit- 
tle duties  is  a  wonderful  source  of  cheerfulness.  We 
must  look  out  for  opportunities  of  giving  way  to 
others.  We  must  regard,  not  the  act  only  which 
we  do,  but  the  time  which  obedience  has  fixed  for 
doing  it,  whether  it  be  the  obedience  of  self,  or  di- 
rector; for  the  marvellous  virtue  of  obedience  resides 
often  more  in  the  time  and  manner  of  an  act,  than  in 
the  act  itself." 

Moreover,  from  dissipation  and  sadness,  there  fol- 
lows a  species  of  languor  which  we  have  all  experi- 
enced, more  or  less,  at  one  time  or  another,  of  our 
lives.  There  are  moments  when  we  feel  no  inclina- 


TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE.  329 

tion  to  do  anything,  because  we  seem  utterly  nerve- 
less, and  without  power  or  animation.  We  are,  as 
it  were,  morally  powerless.  Then  there  comes  a  cer- 
tain physical  feeling  of  incapacity  which  is  opposed  to 
any  exertion,  making  duty  doubly  irksome.  We 
need  not  at  all  wonder  that  the  Christian  teacher 
should  then  experience  no  pleasure  in  his  ministry, 
but  rather  find  it  hard  and  wearisome.  "Everything 
that  everybody  does,"  judiciously  remarks  Father 
Faber,  "seems  inopportune,  and  out  of  good  taste. 
Without  rhyme  or  reason  we  have  an  almost  uni- 
versal nausea  of  men  and  things,  and  we  give  in  to 
'the  spirit  of  causeless  irritation'  which  character- 
izes the  paralytic.  ...  In  fact  our  state  is  a  kind 
of  passive  possession  of  the  spirit  of  disgust  and  sloth ; 
it  is  as  if  we  had  lost  the  power  of  being  serious, 
and  were  numb,  or  in  a  trance,  so  far  as  spiritual 
things  are  concerned." 

.Naturally,  we  then  occupy  ourselves  with  much 
useless  industry  which  has  hardly  any  bearing  upon 
our  ministry.  Castle-building  is  perhaps  the  chief 
attraction;  but  this  occupation  "literally  desolates 
and  debauches  the  soul.'  It  passes  over  it  like  a  ruin- 
ous eruption,  leaving  nothing  fresh,  green,  or  fruit- 
bearing  behind  it,  but  a  general  languor,  peevish- 
ness, weariness  with  God." 

Now,  as  a  consequence  of  this  feeling,  there  is  a 
general  indifference  about  the  use  of  time.  We  seem 
to  have  lost  our  appreciation  of  its  value.  And  yet,  if 
we  are  aiming  at  perfection,  there  is  not  a  moment 
that  we  can  afford  to  trifle  away.  Our  eternity  de- 
pends upon  it,  hence  it  is  precious  and  irrevocable. 


330    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

Very  few  faults  are  irreparable,  Father  Faber  ob- 
serves, but  the  loss  of  time  is  one  of  these  few;  and 
when  we  consider  how  easy  a  fault  is,  how  frequent, 
how  silent,  how  alluring,  we  shall  discern  something 
of  its  real  danger.  No  idle  man,  he  continues,  be- 
lieves himself  to  be  idle,  except  in  the  lucid  inter- 
vals of  grace;  no  one  will  credit  how  strong  the 
habit  of  losing  time  will  rapidly  become.  If  the 
Christian  teacher  really  wishes  to  avoid  this  dan- 
gerous rock,  he  must  strongly  determine  to  adhere 
to  his  daily  regulation,  being  exact  that  one  exercise 
does  not  infringe  upon  the  other,  but  doing  each 
within  the  limits  prescribed.  Thus  he  will  acquire 
the  good  habit  of  being  always  usefully  employed, 
and  will  thereby  be  enabled  to  overcome  weariness  and 
disgust. 

He  may  thus  escape  the  last  symptom  of  spiritual 
idleness,  namely,  loquacity.  But  when  we  view  the 
matter  in  its  true  light,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  those 
subject  to  this  malady  can  escape  this  fault.  It  is 
said  that  the  "blues"  or  low  spirits  incline  a  per- 
son to  be  reticent.  Withal,  it  has  been  truly  ob- 
served that  there  is  an  inordinate  itch  for  talking 
while  thus  afflicted.  "In  spirituality  when  the  tired 
soul,"  cautiously  remarks  our  guide,  "seeks  undue 
vent  of  recreation,  there  is  no  relief,  except  castle- 
building,  more  dangerous  than  loquacity.  Some  are 
tempted  to  be  loquacious  with  everybody  who  will 
be  a  listener;  others  only  with  certain  people,  who 
are  sympathetic,  arid  with  whom  to  exchange  senti- 
ments is  to  rest  their  minds.  Others  are  only  tempt- 
ed to  talk  at  wrong  times  and  on  wrong  subjects." 


TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE.  '331 

Now,  should  the  Christian  teacher  feel  weary,  he 
ought  to  remember  that  he  will  never  regret  having 
kept  silence.  Publius  Syrus  affirmed:  I  have  often 
regretted  having  spoken,  never  having  kept  silent. 
Besides,  weariness  is  not  relieved  by  loquacity.  Its 
effect  is  rather  to  increase  it.  If  the  teacher  be  sin- 
cere, then  his  best  remedy  is  in  persistent,  persever- 
ing labor,  guided  by  obedience. 

Doubtless,  the  condition  of  such  a  Christian  teach- 
er is  deserving  of  sympathy  and  commiseration.  But, 
he  should  not  necessarily  grow  despondent.  The 
moment  that  he  becomes  conscious  of  his  real  state, 
let  him  be  prompt  to  shake  it  off,  seeking  relief  in 
multitudinous  occupations,  regulated  by  his  superior. 
This  will  divert  his  attention  from  self  to  his  work, 
and  if  persevered  in  will  restore  him  to  cheerfulness. 
Interest  in  his  ministry  will  be  renewed,  and  his 
labors  will  again  become  a  pleasure.  Weariness  can 
find  no  place  in  a  wholesome  and  fruitful  activity  of 
mind  and  heart. 

Moreover,  let  the  Christian  teacher  reflect  that 
he  is  not  alone  in  his  misery.  How  many  people 
are  there  not  to  be  found  who  have  no  taste  what- 
ever for  their  avocation!  Nevertheless,  they  are 
obliged  to  go  through  the  daily  drudgery,  and  that 
perhaps  for  a  whole  lifetime !  How  many  trades  and 
professions  are  there  not  in  the  world  that  are  hard, 
painful,  and  tiresome  to  those  who  follow  them, 
and  withal  far  from  being  lucrative  or  even  remun- 
erative! And  yet,  there  are  always  people  to  do 
the  work  despite  their  disadvantages  and  their  repug- 
nances. Let  us  look  around  us  and  question  such 


332     THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

and  such  teachers  with  whom  we  are  acquainted,  and 
they  will  most  probably  tell  us  that  they  are  weary 
and  tired  of  their  employment,  and  that  they  find 
their  position  painful,  difficult,  nay,  insupportable. 
But  they  must  needs  continue  where  they  are  and 
endure  their  sufferings  with  patience  during  long  and 
burdensome  years. 

Surely  the  exile  is  weary  of  foreign  climes  to 
which  unfortunate  circumstances  have  banished  him. 
But  should  he,  on  that  account,  give  way  to  des- 
pair? Undoubtedly  not,  for  in  doing  so  he  would 
not  better  his  condition  or  improve  his  position.  If 
he  be  reasonable,  he  resigns  himself  to  the  inevitable, 
places  his  confidence  in  God,  and  lives  in  the  hope 
of  again  seeing  happy  years. 

Let  us  then  be  more  reasonable,  more  Christian, 
and  more  religious.  We  should  not  forget  that  the 
life  of  man  on  earth,  according  to  holy  Job,  is  a 
constant  warfare.  (1)  It  is  only  by  war  that  we 
conquer  peace.  Heaven  is  gained  only  by  violence. 
It  was  necessary  that  Christ  should  die  and  so  enter 
into  His  glory.  Surely,  we  can  not  hope  to  reach 
heaven  by  any  other  path.  For  we  shall  enjoy  the 
glory  and  felicity  of  Christ  only  on  condition  that 
we  share  in  His  labors  and  sufferings. 

St.  Paul  did  not  weary  when  loaded  with  chains, 
and  confined  in  the  dark,  noisome  dungeon  in  Rome. 
Assuredly,  nature  must  have  felt  it  keenly  too;  but 
grace  converted  his  sufferings  into  joy.  That  his  dis- 
ciples might  know  the  pleasure  he  experienced,  he 
was  accustomed  to  subscribe  his  admirable  instructions 

(1)  c.  vii,  1. 


TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE.  333 

to  them  during  his  imprisonment :  Paul,  prisoner  for 
Jesus  Christ.  (!) 

We  may  indeed  be  weary,  but  we  must  be  cour- 
ageous. It  may  be  the  hour  of  our  trial,  hence  we 
should  not  despair.  Sunshine  will  return  and  our 
ministry  will  again  afford  us  the  same  pleasure  that 
we  experienced  in  the  past,  provided  we  are  faithful 
and  persevere  in  our  duty. 

"Thy  sum  of  duty  let  two  words  contain, 
(0  may  they  graven  in  thy  heart  remain!) 
Be  humble  and  just." — Prior. 


THOUGHTS  CALCULATED  TO  INSPIRE  ZEAL. 

Of  all  divine  things,  observe  St.  Denis,  the  most 
divine  is  to  co-operate  with  God  in  the  salvation  of 
souls. 

If  you  saw  a  blind  man  on  the  point  of  falling 
into  a  ditch,  he  says  elsewhere,  you  would  endeavor 
to  save  him.  How  then  can  you  stand  by  and  see 
your  brethren  precipitating  themselves  into  hell, 
and  not  stretch  out  your  hand  to  save  them  from 
eternal  perdition. 

The  love  of  God,  says  St.  Gregory,  is  never  idle. 
When  it  exists  it  performs  great  things.  If  it  does 
not  act,  it  is  not  true  love. 

If  the  freeing  of  a  man  from  physical  death,  he 
remarks  again,  which  must  after  all  happen  sooner 
or  later,  be  deemed  worthy  of  reward,  how  much 
more  does  -not  he  merit  who  delivers  a  soul  from 


(1)  Ephes.,  Hi,  1;  c.  iv,  1;  Coloss.,  iv,  3;  II  Tim.,  i.  8. 


334    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

eternal  death  and  causes  it  to  enjoy  God  in  glory  for 
all  eternity  ? 

Again  he  says:  No  sacrifice  we  can  offer  to  God 
is  so  great,  so  acceptable,  as  zeal  for  souls. 

Show  me,  if  you  can,  exclaims  St.  Augustine,  love 
in  repose,  and  doing  nothing  for  the  object  beloved ! 

No  service,  said  St.  John  Chrysostom,  is  so  agree- 
able to  God  as  the  saving  of  souls. 

He  who  macerates  his  body  by  austerities,  he  re- 
marks judiciously,  has  less  merit  than  he  who  gains 
souls  for  God. 

There  are  two  ways  of  attaining  to  salvation,  he 
affirms  again;  either  we  labor  for  our  own  salvation 
alone,  or  we  work  also  for  our  neighbor's  salvation. 
It  must  be  acknowledged  that  fasting,  corporal  aus- 
terities, and  such  like  virtues,  are  very  useful  for  the 
salvation  of  him  who  practises  them ;  but  alms,  teach- 
ing, and  those  acts  of  charity  we  do  for  our  neighbor 
are  by  far  greater  virtues  in  the  sight  of  God. 

One  single  soul,  he  affirms  positively,  gained  to 
Jesus  Christ,  may  efface  an  infinitude  of  our  sins,  and 
become  the  price  of  our  own  salvation. 

Would  you  not  feel  pleased  with  yourself,  he 
says  also,  if  you  had  spent  large  sums  in  relieving 
the  wants  of  the  poor?  He  who  labors  to  save 
souls  effects  still  more. 

Let  your  zeal  be  animated  by  charity,  counsels  St. 
Bernard,  enlightened  by  knowledge,  strengthened  by 
constancy;  let  it  be  fervent,  circumspect, .invincible; 
let  it  be  neither  lukewarm,  nor  indiscreet,  nor  timid. 


TEACHING  CEASES  TO  GIVE  PLEASURE.      335 

A  beast  of  burden  stumbles  and  falls,  lie  tells  us, 
and  we  at  once  hasten  to  raise  it  up.  We  see  souls 
falling  into  sin  and  we  do  not  go  to  their  aid. 

"When  St.  Catherine  of  Sienna  saw  a  priest  pass- 
ing along  the  street,  she  would  leave  her  house  to  go 
and  kiss  the  ground  on  which  he  had  walked.  When 
asked  why  she  did  this,  she  replied:  "Because  God 
has  made  known  to  me  the  beauty  of  a  soul  in  the 
state  of  grace.  I  have  since  then  held  those  engaged 
in  the  conversion  of  sinners  in  such  veneration,  that 
I  can  not  help  manifesting  it  by  kissing  the  ground 
on  which  they  have  walked." 

It  is  not  sufficient  for  me  to  serve  the  Lord,  af- 
firms St.  Ignatius;  it  is,  moreover,  necessary  that 
as  far  as  it  depends  on  me,  all  hearts  should  love 
Him  and  all  tongues  should  bless  Him. 

Who  will  grant  me  to  die,  asks  St.  Francis  Xavier, 
that  all  may  know  Thee? 

If  he  who  begins,  said  St.  Theresa,  makes  mag- 
nanimous efforts  to  raise  himself  by  God's  help 
to  the  highest  summit  of  perfection,  it  is  my  opinion 
that  he  never  enters  heaven  alone.  He  always  leads 
a  numerous  troop  along  with  him;  as  he  is  a  valiant 
captain,  God  gives  him  many  soldiers  to  accompany 
him. 

Let  the  young  Christian  teacher  apply  to  himself 
these  truthful  words  of  Thomas  a  Kempis : 

"I  could  wish  I  had  often  been  silent,  and  that 
I  had  not  been  in  company. 

"But  why  are  we  so  willing  to  talk  and  discourse 
with  one  another,  since  we  seldom  return  to  si- 
lence without  prejudice  to  our  conscience. 


336    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

"The  reason  why  we  are  so  willing  to  talk  is, 
because  by  discoursing  together  we  seek  comfort 
from  one  another,  and  would  gladly  ease  the  heart 
wearied  by  various  thoughts. 

"And  we  very  willingly  talk  and  think  of  such 
things  as  we  most  love  and  desire,  or  which  we  im- 
agine contrary  to  us. 

"Therefore  we  must  watch  and  pray  that  our 
time  may  not  pass  away  without  fruit."  (1) 

(1)  The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  I.,  Chapter  X.,  i. 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  337 


TWENTIETH  OBJECTION. 

THE   ATTAINMENT    OF    SALVATION   DOES    NOT    AFTER   ALL 
REQUIRE    SO    MUCH    LABOR. 

"Lead,    kindly    light,    amid    the   encircling    gloom, 

Lead  Thou  me  on  ! 
The  night  is  dark,  and  I  am  far  from  home, 

Lead  Thou  me  on  ! 

Keep  Thou  my  feet !     I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene ;  one  step  enough  for  me. 

"I  was  not  ever  thus,  nor  prayed  that  Thou 

Shouldst  lead  me  on  ; 
I  loved  to  choose  and  see  my  path ;  but  now 

Lead  Thou  me  on  ! 

I  loved  the  garish  day ;  and,  spite  of  fears. 
Pride  ruled  my  will :  remember  not  past  years. 

"So  long  Thy  power  has  blest  me,  sure  it  still 

Will  lead  me  on, 
O'er  moor  and  fen,  o'er  crag  and  torrent,  till 

The  night  is  gone  ; 

And  with  the  morn  those  angel  faces  smile, 
Which  I   have  loved  long  since,  and  lost  awhile." 

— Cardinal  Newman. 

Man  is  impelled  by  his  nature  to  seek  happiness. 
It  is  both  his  proximate  and  ultimate  end.  For  this 
he  was  created.  Withal,  we  find  much  misery  and  un- 
happiness.  It  has  been  thus  since  the  fall  of  man. 
With  sin  came  the  real  and  only  evil,  together  with 
its  terrible  consequences.  Experience  teaches  that 
men  seek  their  happiness  in  creatures,  but  only  to 
be  doomed  to  bitter  disappointment,  chagrin,  or  cruel 
remorse.  True  happiness,  according  to  Thomas  a 
Kempis,  consists  in  a  peaceful  conscience,  with  an 
22 


338    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

unswerving  fidelity  to  the  duties  of  our  sublime 
calling. 

Now,  every  man  has  a  special  vocation.  This  is  a 
truism.  No  two  men  have  precisely  the  same.  There- 
fore, one's  present  and  future  happiness  depends 
upon  it.  Hence,  if  we  fail  to  correspond  with  God's 
grace  or  to  attain  the  object  of  our  vocation,  we  will 
run  a  great  risk  of  losing  our  ultimate  end. 

"In  the  far  back  of  an  unbeginning  eternity  we 
shall  see,"  writes  Father  Faber  in  Spiritual  Confer- 
ences, "a  clear  and  special  purpose  for  which  God 
created  us,  an  individual  specialty,  which  he  has 
never  quite  repeated  in  any  other  of  His  creatures, 
a  special  attraction  which  called  out  His  love  to  us, 
or  rather,  which  His  love  invented,  and  which  made 
us  more  dear  in  His  sight  than  possible  better  men 
would  have  been.  This  specialty  decided  our  voca- 
tion upon  earth.  It  fixed  our  place.  It  determined 
our  time.  It  fashioned  our  work.  All  the  mercies 
of  our  lives  and  their  faces  set  toward  it.  Outward 
Circumstances  made  a  current  which  drew  us  that 
way.  All  our  graces  were  in  order  to  it.  All  our 
inspirations,  like  according  notes  in  music,  were 
a  unity,  and  each  sounded  out  of  that  eternal  pur- 
pose and  seemed  to  call  us  on  to  its  fulfillment. 

"Nowhere  do  we  find  God  so  infallibly  as  in  the 
special  vocation  which  He  gives  us.  It  is  certainly 
an  overwhelming  truth,  and  yet  a  cheering  one,  that 
we  have  all  a  special  vocation  from  God.  But  there 
is  another  truth  lying  close  to  it,  which  is  almost  as 
astonishing.  It  is  this.  We  are  continually  receiving 
special  revelations  from  God.  "VVe  live  in  the  midst 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  339 

of  revelations.  We  are  almost  always  inspired,  not 
merely  now  and  then,  but  almost  always,  and  in  a 
very  true  and  peculiar  sense.  In  other  words,  we  are 
continually  receiving  what  we  ordinarily  call  inspira- 
tions. Moreover,  these  inspirations  are  immediately 
connected  with  our  special  vocation.  They  are  to  our 
vocation  what  the  sun  and  rain  are  to  the  seed  or 
the  growing  plant.  They  further  God's  special  de- 
sign upon  us,  and  enable  us  to  develop  itself.  Holi- 
ness of  the  highest  kind  is  distinguished  by  the  quick- 
ness and  fineness  of  the  ear  in  detecting  these  in- 
spirations, and  by  its  promptitude  and  docility  in  fol- 
lowing them. 

"If  we  have  rightly  estimated  the  importance  of 
our  special  vocation,  we  shall  set  a  due  value  on 
these  inspirations.  But  as  the  vocation  is  itself  a 
source  of  holy  and  salutary  fear,  so  likewise  are 
the  inspirations.  God  ever  speaking,  the  world  ever 
making  us  deaf;  this  is  something  like  a  description 
of  our  state.  We  must  strain  our  ears  to  catch  our 
inspirations,  or  they  will  sound  only  like  an  inarticu- 
late murmur,  even  when  they  are  not  inaudible  alto- 
gether. Without  our  inward  life  we  have  no  chance 
of  discerning  them.  Not  infrequently  they  require 
other  ears  than  our  own  to  hear  them ;  very  frequent- 
ly other  minds  than  our  own  to  understand  them. 
This  is  part  of  the  necessity  of  the  spiritual  direction. 

"Spiritual  direction  is  almost  a  necessary  condi- 
tion of  self-knowledge,  so  is  it  in  ordinary  cases  al- 
most an  inevitable  condition  of  the  knowledge  of 
God's  dealing  with  our  souls. 

"But  the  secret  method  of  arriving  at  a  knowledge 


340    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

of  God's  eternal  purpose  about  us  is  to  be  found  in 
the  right  use  of  the  present  moment.  We  must  es- 
teem our  present  grace,  and  rest  in  it,  and  with  tran- 
quil assiduity  correspond  to  it.  Our  present  grace 
is  the  most  infallible  will  of  God.  .  .  .  The 
spiritual  direction  of  multitudes  of  men  consists  of 
nothing  but  keeping  them  to  this;  and  it  is  one  of 
those  unlikely  works  which  has  the  misfortune  of 
being  seldom  successful  where  most  indispensable. 

"Now,  it  is  plain  that  the  knowledge  of  our  vo- 
cation will  affect  our  whole  spiritual  life.  Men  who 
enjoy  the  vision  of  it  lead  special  lives  based  upon  that 
knowledge.  It  is  a  great  grace,  but  only  to  those  who 
have  it.  It  would  not  be  a  great  grace  to  those  to 
whom  God  does  not  give  it." 

Whence  comes  it,  then,  that  we  grow  weary  of 
our  vocation?  Is  our  interior  life  well  ordered?  If 
that  be  not  in  conformity  with  the  spirit  of  our 
special  vocation,  our  outward  life  will  not  reflect 
it.  It  is  the  interior  life  that  gives  the  character  to 
our  outward  conduct,  and  not  the  outward  life  to  the 
interior.  Have  we  not  become  imbued  with  a  spirit 
of  worldiness?  If  so  let  us  be  on  our  guard,  for  the 
worldly  spirit  is  antagonistic  to  the  life  of  faith, 
and  will  ultimately  lead  us  to  ruin. 

Now,  the  Christian  teacher  who  claims  that  the 
attainment  of  his  salvation  can  be  effected  with  less 
labor  in  the  world  than  in  religion,  gives  evidence 
of  the  spiritual  ravages  which  the  destructive  spirit 
of  worldliness  has  already  made  in  his  soul.  He 
sees  no  longer  the  functions  of  his  sublime  ministry 
with  the  eyes  of  faith,  nor  performs  his  duty  through 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  341 

pure,  disinterested  motives.  He  is  ready  to  take  mere 
pretexts  for  solid  reasons,  and  listens  attentively  to 
the  whisperings  of  perverse  nature.  At  last,  he 
thinks  himself  justified  to  abandon  his  vocation,  be- 
cause he  imagines  that  he  is  where  he  ought  not  to 
be. 

But  if  after  mature  deliberation  and  honest  con- 
sultations with  our  spiritual  director,  we  find  that  we 
are  not  called,  then  it  is  our  duty  to  withdraw.  Then, 
and  under  such  circumstances,  our  action  is  honorable. 
For  God  does  not  expect  impossibilities.  However,  be- 
fore taking  a  final  step,  let  us  reflect,  consult,  and 
above  all  implore  the  light  of  heaven  with  earnestness 
of  soul. 

The  following  are  the  wise  counsels  which  St. 
Alphonsus  Liguori  gave  to  some  of  the  members  of 
his  congregation  who  wished  to  return  to  the  world: 

"Pray,  reflect,  and  meditate  in  the  holy  presence 
of  God,  and  your  sentiments  will  change  for  the  bet- 
ter; the  demon  only  could  inspire  you  with  the 
thoughts  which,  at  present,  fill  your  mind.  Do  not 
forget  that  to  wish  to  renounce  the  holy  state  to 
which  the  divine  mercy  has  called  you,  is  to  wish  to  re- 
nounce your  salvation. 

"I  say  and  I  repeat  that  many  are  eternally  lost, 
because  they  abandoned  their  vocation.  The  chain  of 
graces  was  broken ;  and  this  being  the  case  there  was 
very  little  hope  for  them.  Moreover,  their  infidelity 
is  nearly  always  punished,  even  in  this  world,  by 
bitter  remorse  and  constant  inquietude." 

Furthermore,  the  Christian  teacher  must  not  for- 
get that  he  should  persevere  not  only  to  insure  his  own 


342    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

salvation,  but  also  because  of  the  souls  confided  to  his 
care  and  which  God  wishes  and  has  appointed  him  to 
save  for  Him. 

"Their  salvation,"  observed  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
to  his  missionaries,  (1)  "depends  partially  on  your 
instruction.  "What  excuse  could  we  offer  to  the  Al- 
mighty if  any  of  them  should  die  and  be  lost  through 
our  fault?  Would  we  not  have  to  reproach  ourselves 
that  we  were  the  cause  of  their  damnation  for  not 
having  assisted  them  as  we  should?  And  ought  we 
not  to  fear  that  an  account  will  be  demanded  of  us 
at  the  hour  of  our  death  ?  On  the  contrary,  if  we  but 
correspond  faithfully  to  the  obligations  of  our  voca- 
tion, shall  we  not  have  reason  to  hope  that  God  will 
increase  His  graces,  day  by  day,  that  He. will  bless 
our  labors,  and  that,  lastly,  all  those  souls  that  shall 
obtain  their  salvation  through  our  ministry,  will  bear 
testimony  to  God  of  our  fidelity  to  our  duties  ? ' ' 

Consequently,  do  not  allow  a  contradiction,  or  a 
difficulty,  or  a  feeling  of  discouragement  to  cause  us 
to  run  the  risk  not  only  of  our  own  salvation,  but 
also  the  possibility  of  becoming  responsible  for  the 
salvation  of  many  others. 

"If  you  wish  to  bear  up  against  the  trials  of  life," 
says  St.  Augustine,  "remember  the  recompense  prom- 
ised to  the  faithful  servant.  The  vine-dresser  would 
often  feel  inclined  to  lose  courage  at  his  work,  if  he 
did  not  look  forward  to  the  generous  reward  of  his 
labors. 

' '  Keep  constantly  in  mind  the  thought  of  the  mag- 
nificent promises  made  by  God  to  those  who  labor  for 

(1)  Esprit  de  S.  Vincent  de  Paul. 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  343 

their  neighbor's  salvation.  If  you  do  this  you  will 
find  it  easy  to  count  as  nothing  the  trials  of  your 
earthly  pilgrimage." 

Let  us  remember  that  the  conveniences  and  pleas- 
ures of  life,  the  desire  of  changes,  and  the  fear  of 
difficulties  have  deceived  many.  Have  we  fully  con- 
sidered the  miseries  of  life?  The  cross  meets  us 
everywhere  and  no  one  is  exempt  therefrom. 

Let  us  listen  to  the  Christian  philosopher,  Thomas 
a  Kempis,  and  meditate  seriously  on  his  pregnant 
thoughts : 

"Christ.  Son,  I  would  not  have  thee  seek  for 
such  a  peace,  as  to  be  without  temptations,  or  to  meet 
with  no  adversity. 

"But  even  then  to  think  thou  hast  found  peace, 
when  thou  shalt  be  exercised  with  divers  tribulations 
and  tried  in  many  adversities. 

"If  thou  shalt  say  thou  art  not  able  to  suffer 
so  much,  how  then  wilt  thou  endure  the  fire  of  purga- 
tory? 

"Of  two  evils,  one  ought  always  to  choose  the 
less. 

"That  thou  mayest,  therefore,  escape  the  everlast- 
ing punishment  to  come,  labor  to  3ndure  present  evils 
with  patience  for  God's  sake. 

"Dost  thou  think  the  men  of  this  world  suffer  lit- 
tle or  nothing  ?  Thou  shalt  not  find  it  so,  though  thou 
seek  out  the  most  delicate. 

"But  thou  wilt  say  they  have  many  delights,  and 
follow  their  wills,  and  therefore  make  small  account 
of  their  tribulations, 


344    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

' '  Suppose  it  He  so,  that  they  have  all  they  desire ; 
how  long  dost  thou  think  this  will  last  ? 

"Behold,  they  shall  vanish  away  like  smoke  that 
abounds  in  this  world,  and  there  shall  be  no  re- 
membrance of  their  past  joys. 

"Nay,  even  whilst  they  are  living  they  enjoy 
them  not  without  a  mixture  of  bitterness,  irksome- 
ness,  and  fear. 

"For  the  very  same  thing  in  which  they  con- 
ceive a  delight,  doth  often  bring  upqn  them  a  pun- 
ishment of  sorrow. 

"It  is  but  just  it  should  be  so  with  them,  that 
since  they  inordinately  seek  and  follow  their  pleasures, 
they  should  not  satisfy  them  without  confusion  and 
uneasiness. 

"  0 !  how  short,  how  deceitful,  how  inordinate  and 
filthy  are  all  these  pleasures! 

"Yet  through  sottishness  and  blindness  men  un- 
derstand this  not;  but  like  brute  beasts,  for  a  small 
pleasure  in  this  mortal  life,  they  incur  the  eternal 
death  of  their  souls. 

"But  thou,  my  son,  go  not  after  tliy  concupiscence, 
but  turn  away  from  thy  own  will.(1) 

"Delight  in  the  Lord,  and  He  will  give  thee  the 
desires  of  thy  heart/2) 

"For  if  thou  wilt  be  delighted  in  truth,  and  re- 
ceive more  abundant  consolation  from  Me,  behold,  in 
the  contempt  of  all  worldly  things,  and  the  renounc- 
ing all  those  mean  pleasures,  thou  shalt  be  blessed, 
and  an  exceeding  great  comfort  be  derived  to  thy 
soul. 


(1)  Eccles.,  xviii.     (2)  Psalm,  xxxvi. 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  345 

"And  the  more  thou  withdrawest  thyself  from  all 
comfort  of  things  created,  the  more  sweet  and  the 
more  powerful  consolations  wilt  thou  find  in  Me. 

"But  thou  shalt  not  at  first  attain  to  these  with- 
out some  sorrow  and  labor  in  the  conflict. 

"The  old  custom  will  stand  in  thy  way,  but  by 
a  better  custom  it  shall  be  overcome. 

' '  The  flesh  will  complain,  but  by  the  fervor  of  the 
spirit  it  shall  be  kept  under. 

"The  old  serpent  will  tempt  thee  and  give  thee 
trouble;  but  by  prayer  he  shall  be  put  to  flight; 
moreover,  by  keeping  thyself  always  employed  in 
some  useful  labor,  his  access  to  thee  shall  be  in 
a  great  measure  impeded."  (1) 

For  Petrarch  tells  us  in  the  Triumph  of  Eternity 
that 

"The  time  will  come  when  every  change  shall  cease. 
This  quick  revolving  wheel  shall  rest  in  peace ; 
No  summer  then  shall  glow,  nor  winter  freeze. 
Nothing  shall  be  to  come,  and  nothing  past. 
But  an  eternal  now  shall  ever  last." 


BISHOP  SPALDING'S  APHORISMS  AND  REFLECTIONS  PER- 
TINENT TO  EDUCATION. 

1.— Education  is  little  else  than  the  continuous 
methodical  suggestion  of  what  is  true,  useful,  and 
good,  to  the  end  that  the  pupil  may  be  brought  under 
its  influence  and  permit  it  to  mould  his  life.  It  is 
by  means  of  suggestion  that  the  teacher  is  able  to 
make  him  feel  that  he  is  a  free  agent,  that  it  lies 
in  his  power  to  become  other  and  nobler  than  he  is, 

(1)   The  Following  of  Christ,  Book  III.,  Chapter  XII. 


346    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

and  that  it  is  his  duty  as  it  is  his  privilege  to  de- 
velop in  himself  a  diviner  kind  of  consciousness  which 
alone  makes  truer  knowledge  and  purer  love  pos- 
sible. Persuade  him  that  he  has  ability,  and  he  will 
labor  to  justify  your  opinion  of  him;  but  if  the 
master  discourage  him  he  loses  self-confidence  and 
ceases  to  make  effort. 

2.— To  strengthen  the  will,  to  invigorate  the  mind, 
to  correct  and  refine  the  taste,  to  balance  and  confirm 
the  judgment,  and  to  inure  the  body  to  bear  labor  and 
pain— to  this  the  educator  devotes  his  thought  and 
care. 

3.— To  give  to  the  body,  the  mind,  the  will,  the 
heart,  the  imagination,  the  conscience,  the  power  and 
beauty  proper  to  each  is  the  business  of  education; 
and  it  is  the  business  of  the  teacher  therefore  to  lead 
his  pupils  to  become  self-active  in  their  whole  be- 
ing and  in  every  direction.  His  purpose  should  be 
to  strengthen  and  supple  the  body,  to  confirm  the 
will,  to  purify  the  heart,  to  quicken  the  mind,  to  for- 
tify reason  and  to  make  conscience  sovereign. 

4.— The  aim  of  education  is  to  strengthen  and 
multiply  the  powers  and  activities  of  the  mind  rather 
than  to  increase  its  possessions. 

5.— More  inspiring  and  interesting  teaching  alone 
can  make  progress  in  education  possible:  for  such 
teaching  alone  has  power  to  produce  greater  self -ac- 
tivity, greater  concentration  of  mind,  greater  desire 
to  learn  not  only  how  to  get  a  living,  but  how  to 
live. 

6.— Moral  education  is  the  development  of  in- 
dividuality, and  individuality  can  not  be  developed 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  347 

by  formulas  and  mechanical  processes :  it  is  the  work 
of  the  master  who  brings  to  his  task  a  genuine  and 
loving  interest  in  the  individual. 

7.— There  is  a  grave  defect  in  the  school  where 
the  playground  suggests  happy,  and  the  classroom 
disagreeable  thoughts.  It  is  possible  to  lead  the  young 
to  take  pleasure  in  learning,  and  the  teacher  who  fails 
in  this,  fails  altogether.  It  is  well  that  they  find 
amusement  in  games,  but  it  is  indispensable  that 
they  delight  in  study.  Exercise  of  body  and  exercise 
of  mind  are  supplementary,  and  both  may  be  made 
recreative  and  educative. 

8.— AVhen  knowledge  or  belief  becomes  fixed  in 
dogma,  it  loses  much  of  its  power  to  interest  and 
educate.  Hence  the  teacher  may  not  rest  content 
with  dogmatic  assertions,  but  must  adapt  what  he 
imparts  to  a  circle  of  living  ideas. 

9.— The  end  of  education  is  identical  with  that 
of  life.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  unfolding  of  life  with 
a  view  to  its  end. 

10.— The  educator's  goal  is  power  and  skill  rather 
than  knowledge.  He  who  leaves  school,  knowing  lit- 
tle, but  with  a  longing  for  knowledge,  will  go  farther 
than  one  who  quits,  knowing  many  things,  but  not 
caring  to  learn  more. 

11.— The  teacher  is  worth  what  the  man  is  worth. 

12.— The  test  of  the  worth  of  the  school  is  not  the 
amount  of  knowledge  it  imparts,  but  the  self-activity 
it  calls  forth. 

13.— To  educate  one  must  be  educated;  and  to 
educate  children  one  must  have  a  luminous  mind 
and  a  brave  and  cheerful  heart. 


348    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

14.— With  the  young  imitation  is  an  irresistible 
impulse,  and  it  is  little  less  than  criminal  not  to  place 
before  them  that  which  is  most  worthy  of  imitation. 
Let  the  teacher  then  be  a  wise,  strong,  and  cheerful 
man  that  when  he  speaks  of  heroes,  saints,  and  sages, 
his  pupils  may  find  his  words  credible. 

15.— Let  the  young  be  taught  to  believe  in  the  best 
things:  in  courage,  magnanimity,  truthfulness,  chas- 
tity, and  love;  for  so  long  as  experience  has  not  re- 
vealed their  supreme  worth,  through  faith  alone  can 
their  value  become  known  to  them. 

16.— Let  the  teacher  cultivate  habits  of  admira- 
tion, not  of  criticism.  Let  him  accustom  the  young 
to  live  in  the  company  of  the  great  masters  with 
such  joy  and  enthusiasm  that  they  shall  not  think  it 
worth  while  to  dwell  on  their  faults;  for  this  is 
the  mood  which  urges  to  self-activity,  favors  growth, 
increases  the  power  to  will  and  to  love,  without  which 
there  is  no  good  in  life. 

17.— Intellectual  culture  has  a  moral  value.  At- 
tention and  reflection,  without  which  it  can  not  be 
acquired  are  virtuous  habits  since  they  imply  self- 
direction  and  self-control.  One  can  hardly  live  in 
the  world  of  intelligible  beings  and  at  the  same  time 
find  pleasure  in  what  is  false  or  low.  Then  the  dis- 
interested love  of  truth  which  culture  fosters  is  akin 
to  unselfishness  which  is  a  characteristic  of  the  good. 

18.— The  young  should  be  led  to  widen  the  mean- 
ing of  duty ;  to  accustom  themselves  to  recognize  and 
feel  that  there  are  few  things  which  it  is  well  to 
do,  that  duty  does  not  command  them  to  do. 

19.— The  seed  of  religion  must  be  sown  in  the 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  349 

virginal  hearts  of  children,  who  gladly  receive  and 
hold  whatever  is  offered  to  them  in  the  name  of 
faith,  hope,  and  love;  but  in  a  soil  which  has  been 
parched  and  wasted  by  passion  and  sin,  the  divine 
germs  will  not  take  root.  To  teach  us  this  Christ 
took  children  in  His  arms,  and  said:  "Of  such  is 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven." 

20.— Let  us  not  accustom  the  young  to  pious  prac- 
tices in  a  way  which  shall  lead  them  to  identify 
religion  with  these  observances,  lest,  having  become 
mature  men,  in  losing  fondness  for  what  is  ceremon- 
ial and  devotional,  they  lose  also  religious  earnestness 
and  truth. 

21.— The  teacher  should  begin  with  facts,  con- 
tinue with  them  long,  and  never  lose  sight  of  them. 

22.— To  set  the  higher  motives  to  work,  the  teach- 
er must  touch  the  soul  of  his  pupil,  must  make  him 
feel  that  he  belongs  to  a  divine  order.  Thus  shall 
he  awaken  him  to  self-respect,  and  inspire  him  with 
a  love  of  excellence,  and  when  he  perceives  that  his 
efforts  give  pleasure  to  the  teacher,  he  is  impelled  to 
new  exertions,  especially  if  the  teacher  himself  is 
noble  and  self-active.  < 

23.— An  educated  man  knows  things,  and  he  knows 
also  to  reason  and  write  of  them.  The  first  is  the 
more  important,  but  is  the  business  of  a  life-time : 
the  second  is  also  necessary,  and  if  it  is  not  learned 
at  school,  it  will  hardly  be  acquired  at  all. 

24.— Break  not  the  will  of  the  young,  but  guide  it 
to  right  ends. 

25.— Courage  is  a  wise  counsellor. 

26.— Be  not  the  victim  of  to-morrow.  To-day  is 
the  only  day.  Make  no  projects,  but  work. 


350    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

While  I  delay 
Life  runs  away. 

27.— "VYe  neglect  opportunities  which  are  always 
present,  and  imagine  that  if  those  that  are  rare 
were  offered,  we  should  put  them  to  good  use.  Thus 
we  waste  life  waiting  for  what  if  it  came  we  should 
be  unprepared  for. 

28.— "Wherever  there  is  a  human  being  there  is 
opportunity  for  learning  or  teaching,  for  helping  or 
being  helped. 

29.— The  best  are  happy  in  their  work,  and  have 
no  time  to  remember  that  men  are  heedless  or  un- 
grateful. 

30.— Nothing  is  so  ingenious  as  vanity.  It  will 
find  nourishment  where  common-sense  would  starve. 

31.— Happiness  is  the  radical  craving  of  our  na- 
ture. Let  the  educator  recognize  this,  and  make  plain 
to  his  pupils  that  usefulness  is  the  chief  source  of  hap- 
piness, and  that  the  power  to  be  useful  is  the  re- 
sult of  one's  persistent  efforts  to  educate  himself, 
and  thus  to  make  himself  a  fountainhead  of  light  and 
strength. 

32.— The  educator's  fundamental  precept  is  not— 
Be  thyself— but— Become  thyself. 

33.— Mind  educates  mind,  character  builds  char- 
acter. 

34.— Though  all  I  have  and  strive  for,  be  cast 
aside  as  having  no  worth,  yet  am  I  certain  that  fail- 
ure, not  less  than  success,  serves  God's  purpose,  if  we 
but  have  good- will. 

35.— If  great  thy  purpose,  though  thou  fail,  thy 
life  is  not  without  avail. 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  351 

36.— Let  the  teacher  look  for  the  cause  of  his 
failure  in  himself,  and  not  in  his  pupils;  for  it  is 
generally  found  in  himself,  and  it  is  more  fruitful  to 
strive  to  correct  one's  self  than  to  find  fault  with 
others. 

37.— Study  and  treat  each  pupil  with  as  much 
care  as  a  skillful  and  conscientious  physician  diagno- 
ses and  follows  a  case  of  illness,  when  he  feels  the 
life  of  the  patient  is  at  stake. 

38.— Within  thee  there  lies  captive  one  whom 
it  is  thy  duty  to  set  free  from  the  darkness  of  ignor- 
ance and  the  bondage  of  passion,  that  he  may  be- 
come a  citizen  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  have 
the  liberty  of  the  children  of  God.  This  is  the  work 
appointed  for  thee,  which  if  thou  fail  rightly  to  per- 
form, no  power  can  redeem  thee  from  misery. 

39.— What  share  has  the  intellect  in  the  forma- 
tion of  character  ?  Does  thought  alone  constrain  man 
to  strive  for  the  highest  life?  Or  is  something  more 
than  thought  required  to  impel  him  to  the  pursuit 
of  perfection?  This  is  a  fundamental  consideration 
for  all  who  are  occupied  with  education. 

40.— The  aim  of  education,  as  of  religion,  is  to 
hold  the  animal  man  in  subjection  to  the  spiritual, 
and  we  have  come  to  understand  that  to  weaken  the 
body  is  not  the  way  to  accomplish  this  end.  A  healthy 
mind  can  hardly  be  found  except  in  a  healthy  body, 
and  the  greater  our  mental  and  moral  power,  the 
greater  our  need  of  physical  vigor  and  endurance. 

41.— They  who  throw  the  spirit  of  the  greatest 
love  into  their  work  are  the  greatest  saints  and  the 
greatest  teachers. 


352    THE  YOUNG  CHRISTIAN  TEACHER  ENCOURAGED. 

42.— The  child  is  bound  by  a  double  claim  of 
ignorance  and  helplessness.  lie  is  a  prisoner,  and  it 
is  the  educator's  business  to  unbar  the  door  and  set 
him  free;  and  he  can  do  this  only  by  teaching  him 
to  reflect,  to  obey,  to  act  in  accordance  with  what  good 
sense  and  just  laws  command.  His  emancipation  must 
be  a  gradual  and  slow  process;  for  he  can  become 
free  only  through  habits  of  self-control  and  industry. 
He  is  the  slave  of  ignorance,  and  knowledge  can 
be  acquired  only  by  long  and  patient  labor;  he  is 
the  bond-servant  of  his  helpless  condition,  and  ^his 
helplessness  is  good  for  him,  because  it  forces  him 
to  learn  obedience  and  self-denial,  and  thus  acquire 
the  moral  strength  which  liberates.  The  sense  of  his 
obligations  to  others  must  be  awakened  in  him,  or 
he  will  not  gain  self-respect;  the  spirit  of  reverence 
must  be  cultivated;  he  must  be  taught  to  lift  his 
soul  to  the  Heavenly  Father  and  to  walk  in  His  pres- 
ence, or  the  sacredness  and  worth  of  life  will  not 
be  revealed  to  him.  He  must  be  taught  to  admire 
those  whose  superiority  is  founded  on  wisdom  and 
virtue,  or  the  ideal  of  human  perfection  shall  be 
hidden  from  him.  In  looking  up  to  such,  men  and 
women  a  sense  of  his  own  dignity  is  brought  home 
to  him,  and  in  following  their  teaching  and  example 
he  feels  himself  purified  and  exalted.  Thus  little 
by  little  the  meaning  of  freedom  dawns  upon  him, 
and  he  at  the  same  time  acquires  the  virtues  which 
alone  can  prevent  its  becoming  a  curse. 

43.— There  is  in  our  youth  a  failure  of  will,  of 
the  power  to  resolve  highly  and  to  pursue  the  object 
of  desire  through  long  years  of  unwearying  labor. 


THE  ATTAINMENT  OF  SALVATION.  353 

44.— Example,  whether  presented  in  life  or  in 
literature,  is  the  good  teacher. 

45.— The  heart  of  youth  throbs  in  the  bosom  of 
the  future  and  its  life-current  bears  the  seed  of  richer 
harvests  than  have  ever  been  garnered.  0  fathers 
and  mothers,  0  teachers  and  ministers  of  God,  be 
mindful  that  in  your  hands  lie  the  issues  of  life  and 
death,  that  to  you  are  committed  the  highest  and  the 
holiest  hopes  of  the  race. 

46.— We  worry  because  we  do  so  little,  whereas 
the  real  trouble  is  that  what  we  do  is  ill  done.  Of 
work,  done  as  well  as  man  can  do  it,  a  little  is  sufficient 
to  make  a  life  useful  and  noble. 

47.— The  thoughts  and  sentiments  of  others  con- 
cerning thee  have  significance  and  value  only  in  so 
far  as  they  affect  thy  own  thoughts  and  sentiments. 
Give  heed  to  thyself  and  be  neither  cast  dowji  nor 
elated  by  what  is  said  of  thee. 

48.— Those  who  have  genuine  worth  are  esteemed 
by  others  more  than  they  esteem  themselves.  It  is  only 
pretenders  who  complain  of  lack  of  appreciation, 
while  real  men,  thinking  modestly  of  themselves,  are 
content  with  the  recognition  they  receive. 

49.— Whether  no  one  or  a  few  or  thousands  praise 
or  condemn  thee,  thou  art  what  thou  art:  and  if 
thou  need  the  approval  of  men  to  make  thee  what 
thou  art,  it  matters  little  what  thou  art. 

50.— To  do  lowly  work  with  a  love  as  high  as  God, 
and  thoughts  as  true,  is  to  be  heroic. 


23 


INDEX. 

Aaron,  punished  for  want  of  confidence,  91. 

Abbot  de  Ranee,  on  Father  Euthyme's  spiritual  science,  131 ; 
on  his  knowledge  of  the  Scripture,  131,  132. 

Absurdity  of  religious  men  working  for  selfish  inter- 
ests, 153. 

Account,  in  what  consists  the,  we  must  render  on  judgment- 
day,  241. 

Action,  educative,  should  tend  to  give  an  impetus,  16;  on 
what  depend  the  merit  and  goodness  of  our,  241. 

Activities,  human,  any  observer  of,  knows  that  success 
depends,  44. 

Actual  life,  a  scene  from,  64. 

Adam,  God's  command  to,  85. 

Adage,  a  pregnant,  143. 

Adversity,  teaches  what  man  is,  281. 

Ages,  the  Middle,  and  the  poor,  227,  233. 

Agonizing  Heart  of  Jesus,  and  our  sufferings,  38. 

Alexander  the  Great,  reproof  of,  to  his  grooms,  22. 

Alibert,  Baron  d',  a  French  physician,  233. 

Ambition,  its  root  in  vanity,  209;  its  definition,  209. 

Anchieta,  S.  J.,  Father,  an  example  of  obedience,  196. 

Angel,  Guardian,  each  child  attended  by  a,  294;  mission 
of  the,  297. 

Anne  of  Austria,  Queen,  206. 

Anne  de  Beaumont,  Mother,  an  example  of  obedience,  205, 
206. 

Antidotes  to  discouragement,  56. 

Apostle,  what  makes  the,  136. 

Apostle  of  Carthagena,  S.  Peter  Claver,  S.  J.,  the,  81. 

Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  St.  Paul,  the,  on  suffering,  30. 

Apostolate  of  Suffering,  how  exercised,  38,  39. 

Apothegm,  an,  on  opportunity,  31. 

Appetites,  sensitive,  movements  of  the,  3;  Aristotle  on  the,  5. 


356  INDEX. 

Application  of  St.  Bernard's  letter  to  Pope  Eugenius  III.,  75. 

Appreciation,  lack  of,  an  objection,  145;  why  some  mur- 
mur, 157. 

Asa,  the  prophet,  message  of,  93. 

Aubrey  de  Vere,  on  misspent  time,  121. 

Ausonius,  on  ingratitude,  246. 

Azarias,  Brother,  on  how  to  think,  122;  on  how  to  study, 
122;  his  Phases  of  Thought  and  Criticism,  quoted,  122. 

Bacon,  quoted,  121;  on  vain  opinions  of  men,  169. 

Bailey's  Festus,  quoted,  84.  , 

Bait,  a  seducing,  to  our  first  parents,  140. 

Baruch,  Prophet,  on  confusion,  115. 

Bayard  Taylor,  quoted,  84. 

Belecius,  Father,  on  dangerous  esteem  of  men's  judgment, 
195. 

Bertrand,  St.,  the  heroic,  a  model  of  zeal,  266. 

Beseleel  and  Ooliab,  skilled  artificers,  116. 

Binet,  the  Rev.  Father,  on  wayward  children,  23. 

Blain,  Canon,  his  Spirit  and  Virtues  of  S.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle, 
282. 

Blessed  Margaret  Mary,  on  trust  in  God,  96. 

Blois,  Louis  of,  on  intention,  168;  on  voluntary  sacri- 
fices, 207. 

Boasting,   described,   273. 

Bobadilla,  S.  J.,  Nicholas,  187. 

Boker,  G.  H.,  167. 

Bonaventure,  St.,  on  vanity,  191;  on  Christ's  humility,  226. 

Borderies,  Mgr.,  Bishop  of  Versailles,  322. 

Bourdaloue,  on  the  value  of  works  done,  214. 

Bosco,  Dom,  228. 

Brother  Frumence,  Vicar-General  of  the  Institute  of  the 
Brothers  of  Christian  Schools,  63. 

Bread  of  the  Strong,  the,  an  antidote  to  discouragement,  57. 

Browning,  Elizabeth,  quoted,  263. 

Bulwer-Lytton's  Richelieu,  quoted,  84. 

Burdens,  what  they  imply,  301. 

Business  of  the  educator,  127. 

Byrne,  the  Rev.  Stephen,  Sketches  of  Illustrious  Domin- 
icans, 266. 


INDEX.  357 

Calumny,  teacher  exposed  to,  an  objection,  271. 

Canticle  of  Canticles,  on  charity,  302. 

Canticle  of  Love,  why  some  do  not  follow  its  teaching,  49. 

Capabilities,  wonderful,  of  the  human  heart,  50. 

Cardinal  Fesch,  protector  of  the  Christian  Brothers,  63. 

Carlyle,  84,  145,  209. 

Carthusian,  prayer  alone  makes  the,  136. 

Castle-building,  the  consequences  of,  329. 

Cathary,  Clement,  his  ardent  desire  to  suffer,  208. 

Causes,  principal,  of  the  loss  of  vacations,  XVI. 

Ceremony  of  Opening  the  Holy  Door,  19. 

Changes,  frequent,  annoying,  an  objection,  166;  productive 

of  good,  172. 

Chantal,  Madame  de,  280. 

Character,  independence  of,  not  self-will,  191;   what  con- 
stitutes, 124. 
Characters,  remedy  for  impetuous,  260;  of  restless  activity, 

effect  on  health,  261. 
Charity,  its  qualities  described,  300;   what  it  demands  of 

us,  301;  prompts  us  to  be  patient  with  our  neighbor, 

306;  what  depends  on,  308. 
Chase,  the,  by  Somerville,  quoted,  292. 
Child,  the,  a  world  in  itself,  4. 
Child-nature,  tainted,  2;   qualities  natural  to,  251;   is  not 

studied,  14. 
Children,  are  full  of  defects,  1;  their  innocence,  goodness, 

53;   do  not  profit  by  instruction,  63;  should  be  taught 

gratitude,  247;  are  attractive,  251. 
Christ,  the  model,  seeking  God's  glory,  150;  His  mandate 

to  carry  the  cross,  86. 

Life  of,  quoted,  225. 
Christian  Brothers,  a  pupil  of  the,  63. 
Christians,  early,  sufferings  endured  by  the,  42. 
Church,  conduct  of  the,  concerning  the  poor,  227. 
Cicero,  on  ignorance,  120;  on  art  in  knowing,  teaching,  126; 

on  love  of  glory,  213;  on  the  effect  of  gentle  speech,  229; 

on  calumny,  275. 
Circumstances,  man  influenced  by,  effects  of,  257. 


358  INDEX. 

Class,  the,  compared  to  a  field,  59. 

Class-room,  the,  field  for  triumph,  88. 

Classes,  primary,  motives  for  esteeming  the,  220. 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  on  instructing  others,  316. 

Collet,  M.,  quoted,  259. 

Community,  religious,  blessings  of  a,  when  united,  308. 

Compelle  intrare,  the  evangelical,  its  meaning,  67. 

Conclusions,  three  important,  on  trust  in  God,  100. 

Conduct  of  our  Lord  in  His  Ministry,  our  Model,  79. 

Conferences,  Spiritual,  Faber's  quoted,  338. 

Confidence,  want  of,  in  God,  an  insult,  how  punished,  90; 
in  God,  a  means  to  obtain  favors,  109. 

Congreve,  on  virtuous  deeds,  190. 

Consequences,  of  enlightened  zeal,  77;  evil,  from  hesita- 
tion, 125. 

Consolation,  for  the  teacher,  76. 

Contention,  in  what  consists,  274. 

Contentment,  when  laboring  for  God,  204. 

Counsels,  salutary,  56. 

Courage,  a  wise  counsellor,  349. 

Covetousness,  root  to  all  evil,  141. 

Cowards,  shun  danger,  85. 

Cowper,  on  God's  works,  102;  quoted,  108;  on  scandal,  271. 

Crasset,  Father,  encouraging  words  to  the  Christian  teacher, 
254;  on  what  is  demanded  of  teachers,  289;  on  the 
teacher's  vocation,  292. 

Cross,  the,  and  the  followers  of  Christ,  86. 

Cure  d'  Ars,  an  instance  of  doing,  due  to  his  sanctity  and 
not  to  learning,  135;  on  the  prayers  of  children,  222; 
on  self-denial  and  suffering,  202;  on  the  cross,  203. 

Cure  of  the  cripple,  its  lesson,  107. 

D  aniel,  the  prophet,  on  recompense  to  teachers,  55. 

Danger,  a  twofold,  to  be  avoided  in  teaching,  261. 

Daurignac,  quoted,  81. 

David,  King,  on  confidence  in  God,  94;  conquers  the 
Amelecites,  99;  on  hope,  111,  115;  quoted,  103,  113;  on 
God's  promises,  115.  , 

Deage,  Father,  first  teacher  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  254. 


INDEX.  359 

Defect,  radical,  in  teachers,  XV;  a  grave,  in  the  school,  347. 

Defects,  of  child-nature,  4;  no  man  free  from,  300. 

Degrees  of  probability,  58. 

Delays,  dangerous,  125. 

De  Maistre,  quoted,  123. 

Demosthenes,  an  example  of  courage  and  perseverance,  59. 

Deuteronomy,  assures  God's  protection,  109. 

Development,   mental,  is  slow,  9. 

Devotedness  reaps  reward,  52. 

Didon,  Father,  on  motive,  225;  his  Life  of  Christ,  225. 

Difference  between  a  successful  and  non-successful  man, 
125. 

Difficulty,  in  teaching  not  ignored,  28,  32,  66. 

Digby,  Kenelm  H.,  on  the  first  beatitude,  227. 

Direction,  spiritual,  necessary  for  all,  339. 

Discord,  described,  273. 

Discouragement  at  failure  to  be  avoided,  80. 

Disobedience,  in  what  consists,   274. 

Dissipation,  in  what  consists,  326;   consequences  of,  327. 

Distrust  of  self  necessary,  106. 

Doctrine  Spirituelle,  Lallemant's,  quoted,  37. 

Domitian,  persecution  of,  277. 

Dubois,  Father,  on  consolations  from  difficult  positions,  177. 

Dupanloup,  Bishop,  on  evil  germs,  1;  on  secret  of  success, 
44;  on  Christian  education,  5;  opposes  dismissal  of 
students,  21;  strong  language  on  duty,  44,  45;  on 
transformation  of  character,  67;  the  evangelical  com- 
pelle  intrare  explained,  67;  on  the  qualifications  of 
professors,  134;  on  the  ingratitude  of  children,  his  ex- 
perience, 250;  his  love  for  children,  251;  on  the  mutual 
benefit  teaching  confers  on  teachers  and  pupils,  322. 

Duty,   the,   of   Christian   teacher,   5;    as   understood   by   a 
mother,  46;   of  a  physician,  74;   hurriedly  performed, 
consequences  of,  327. 
• 

Eagerness,  a  too  great,  to  succeed,  due  to  self-love,  76. 
Ecclesiasticus,  73;  on  health,  258;  on  trials  and  temptations, 
272;  on  sorrow,  272;  on  adversity,  281. 


360  INDEX. 

Education,  the  most  difficult  of  arts,  XV;  rightly  under- 
stood, 14;  crimes  prevented  by  Christian,  66;  should  be 
entrusted  to  the  skillful,  212;  reason  therefor,  213;  nat- 
ural to  have  distaste  for,  289;  confers  a  mutual  bene- 
fit on  teacher  and  pupil,  322;  a  powerful  means  to  form 
one's  character,  322;  in  what  consists,  345;  business  of, 
346;  aim  of,  346,  351;  the  power  of,  346;  what  con- 
stitutes moral,  246;  the  end  of,  347. 

Educator,  the  true,  takes  the  means,  2;  is  not  discouraged, 
4;  the  perverse  inclinations  of  child-nature  and,  4; 
the  child's  faculties  and,  14;  details  of  the  profession 
of,  45;  expectations  of,  118;  indifferent  as  to  what  may 
be  assigned,  174;  obedience  the  motive  of,  186;  conduct 
of,  189;  to  what  he  devotes  his  thoughts,  346;  should 
not  rest  content  with  dogmatic  assertions,  347;  the  goal 
of,  347;  should  recognize  the  radical  craving  for  hap- 
piness of  our  nature,  350;  the  fundamental  precept 
of,  350. 

Ejaculations,  for  moments  of  trial,  57. 

Elegy,  Gray's,  cited,  148. 

Element,  in  what  consists  the  variable,  15;  the  variable,  in 
child-nature,  15;  the  fundamental,  in  what  consists,  15. 

End  of  man,  124. 

Enthusiasm,  essential  to  success,  125. 

Epictetus,  on  Trust  in  God,  263. 

Error  of  young  teacher,  11;  fatal,  of  young  teachers,  86. 

Essence,  of  Christian  Apostolate,  40. 

Evil,  tendency  to,  4;  root  of,  286. 

Evil  germs,  St.  Paul  on,  1 ;  Dupanloup  on,  1. 

Example,  proposed,  of  Jesus  Christ,  30;  of  the  saints,  54; 
of  a  humane  man,  60;  of  St.  Peter  co-operating  with 
Christ,  106;  of  charming  indifference  as  to  employ- 
ment, 181. 

Experience,  of  Dupanloup  as  an  educator,  45;  what  it 
teaches  concerning  children,  247. 

paber,  Father,  on  independence  of  character,  192;  on  the 
human  spirit  and  its  destructiveness,  314;  marks  of 
the  human  spirit,  315;  on  spiritual  idleness,  326;  on 
sadness,  328;  on  loss  of  time,  330;  on  vocation,  338. 


INDEX.  361 

Faculties,  intellectual,  developed  gradually,  9. 

Failure,  productive  of  good,  77. 

Faith,  spirit  of,  and  value  of  a  soul,  230;  our  work,  238. 

Faith,  light  of,  ingratitude  viewed  by  the,  246;  sufferings 
viewed  by  the,  36. 

Fame,  considered  as  vanity,  146. 

Faults,  the  result  of  human  frailty,  atoned,  33. 

Feelings,  weariness  and  disgust,  how  to  overcome,  53. 

Fellow-religious,  to  live  with,  annoying,  an  objection,  300. 

Fenelon,  on  crosses,  24;  value  of  crosses,  271;  on  the  wis- 
dom to  possess,  314. 

Following  of  Christ,  quoted,  47,  57. 

Fruit  of  our  labors,  55. 

Fruitfulness  promised  to  abnegation,  136. 

Fundamental  element,  of  child-nature  and  in  what  con- 
sists, 15. 

Function,  noble,  of  Christian  teacher,  116;  faithful  per- 
formance of  lowliest,  215. 

Gardener,  a  skillful,  and  the  teacher  compared,  213.     ,. 

Generosity,  gives  wings,  41. 

Generous  soul,  a,  and  suffering,  41. 

Gerson,  Chancellor,  love  for  children,  7;  an  admission  of, 
14;  on  the  saving  of  souls,  14;  on  wayward  children, 
16;  work  not  lost,  17;  quoted,  224;  what  is  desired  of 
those  who  have  the  care  of  souls,  231;  on  the  gratitude 
of  children,  252;  a  charming  discourse  to  children,  252. 

God,  the  centre  of  our  hope,  109;  His  patience  with  man, 
302. 

Good,  accomplished  in  proportion  to  sanctity,  135;  effected 
among  souls  is  due  to  God,  103. 

Granada,  Louis  de,  on  self-love,  228. 

Gratification  of  passion,  sole  law,  65. 

Gratitude,  a  rare  virtue,  not  to  be  expected  from  children, 
250. 

Habit,  how  formed,  5. 

Happiness,  man  impelled  to  seek,  337;  in  what  consists 
true,  337. 


362  INDEX. 

Hardships,  not  peculiar  to  teaching  only,  86;  when  meritor- 
ious, 127. 

Health,  endangered  by  teaching,  an  objection,  257. 

Heart,  the,  of  child,  fathomed,  4;  is  a  book,  4;  the  human, 
a  glowing  hearth,  51. 

Heber,  quoted,  242. 

Herbert,  on  lowly  actions,  238. 

Heroes  of  Elmwood,  cited,  148. 

Heroic  saying,  St.  Francis  Xavier,  43. 

Hesitation,  a  foe,  to  be  avoided,  125. 

Hiawatha,  cited,  148. 

Holaind,  S.  J.,  Rene,  on  influences  that  govern,  98. 

Hommond's  love  for  the  lower  grades,  223. 

Hope,  of  the  centurion,  a  perfect  example,  110;  never  con- 
founded, 114. 

Hopes,  of  youth,  fall  thick,  54. 

Horace,  quoted,  86,  174,  191. 

Huby,  S.  J.,  Father,  the  humility  of,  200. 

Humanity,  imperfections  of,  consequences  of  the,  307. 

Huet,  an  erudite  scholar,  but  no  teacher,  134. 

Humility,  very  necessary,  102,  138;  its  necessity  when  ac- 
complishing some  good,  105;  the  highest  degree,  how 
attained,  107;  a  safeguard  against  vain-glory,  139; 
magnanimous  character  of,  210;  suffering  and  persecu- 
tion the  test  of,  271. 

Husbandman  and  seed-time,  an  illustration,  26. 

Hypocrisy,  described,  273. 

Hypothesis,  an  assumed,  concerning  supposed  fruitless  la- 
bor, 14. 

|dea,  a  mistaken,  about  primary  grades,  133. 

Ideal,  the,  established,  not  too  high,  its  possibility,  128. 

Idleness,  as  a  spiritual  malady,  326;   its  naturalness,  326; 

one  of  the  chief  vices  of  a  teacher,  326;  its  symptoms, 

326. 

Ignatius,  Father,  of  Tolosa,  197. 
Ignorance,  no  palliation  of,  121. 
Iliad,  the,  cited,  233. 
Impotency,  a  universal,  noticeable  in  individuals,  109. 


INDEX.  363 

Impossible,  the  word,  85. 

Indifference,  holy,  of  a  Christian  teacher,  147;  how  to  ob- 
tain perfect,  179. 

Inferences,  from  Rodriguez,  on  confidence  in  God,  92. 

Influence,  permanent,  of  a  teacher  through  the  heart,  123. 

Infirmities,  man's,  not  discouraging,  if,  98. 

Ingratitude,  a  cause  for  complaint,  246;  of  children,  250. 

Instance,  an,  of  the  French  Revolution,  61;  a  transforma- 
tion of  character,  69;  of  a  man  in  search  of  a  treasure, 
72;  of  perfect  obedience,  177;  of  abnegation,  196. 

Instruments,  weak,  called  to  do  great  works,  99;  reason 
given  by  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  102. 

Intellect,  eager  for  the  truth,  14;  cultivation  of,  possible, 
120. 

Intellects,  bright,  how  ruined,  133. 

Interests,  our  true,  153. 

Intrepid  soul,  an,  saying  of,  41. 

Irving,  Washington,  on  transitory  fame,  147. 

Itching  for  praise,  due  to,  145. 

Jame,  Joseph,  an  example  of  perfect  obedience,  184. 

Jahaziel,  the  prophet,  112. 

Jarius,  an  example  of  hope,  109.' 

Jesus  Christ,  the  Model,  for  teachers,  78. 

Job,  on  suffering,  35;  a  type  of  patience,  35,  40. 

Josaphat,  King  of  Juda,  cited,  94,  112. 

Josue,  cause  for  humbling  himself,  114;  inspires  his  chiefs 

with  courage,  321. 
Judde,  Father,  on  religious  who  are  disgusted,  XVII;   on 

trust  in  God,  96;  thoughts  to  inspire  a  love  for  teaching, 

293;  excellent  counsels  to  a  young  teacher,  309. 
Judgments,  the,  of  men,  untrustworthy,  14G;  when  contrary 

to  perfection,  166;  how  some  adhere  to  their,  167. 
Justice,  the,  of  God,  and  our  sins,  31. 
Justiniani,  Father  Vincent,  267. 

Keats,  quoted,  166. 

Knowledge,  of  child-nature,  16;  intuition  and,  46;  human, 
58;  of  human  nature,  display  of,  66;  of  our  inability 


364  INDEX. 

not  discouraging,  101;  lack  of,  an  objection,  118;  is 
within  the  reach  of  all,  125;  religion  and,  123;  is  a 
source  of  joy,  126;  its  necessity,  133;  different  kinds  of, 
135;  of  our  vocation,  how  to  attain  to  the,  340. 

Labor,  a  universal  law,  85;  conquers  everything,  87. 

Lack  of  sweetness,  a  radical  defect,  2. 

Laeta,  wife  of  Toxotius,  293. 

Lallemant,  S.  J.,  Father,  on  suffering,  37;  on  working  for 
selfish  motives,  153;  on  selfish  interests,  162;  on  di- 
vine and  human  wisdom,  198. 

Languor,  a  consequence  of  sadness,  328. 

Laynez,  S.  J.,  Father,  175. 

Leo  XII.,  Pope,  19. 

Lever,  a,  in  the  teacher's  hand,  3. 

Lexicon,  the,  of  youth,  84. 

Life,  a  constant  warfare,  331. 

Light,  the,  of  faith  and  our  sufferings,  3G. 

Lincoln,  President,  achieves  success,  87. 

Livy,  on  the  perception  of  good,  192. 

Lock,  on  the  impossibility  of  knowing  everything,  120. 

Lohner,  Father,  on  wayward  pupils,  24. 

Longfellow,  quoted,  53,  81;  on  great  men,  148;  on  a  death- 
less name,  148,  186;  on  ambition,  209;  on  the  poor  un- 
heard, 225. 

Loquacity,  a  symptom  of  spiritual  idleness,  its  dangers,  330. 

Love,  of  duty,  its  significance,  44;  essential  to  every  teacher, 
45;  determines  what  to  do,  46;  enlightens  the  intellect, 
46;  canticle  of,  by  Thomas  a  Kempis,  47;  qualities  of, 
48,  49;  its  power  of  endurance,  50;  spirit  of,  50,  51; 
power  of,  51,  52;  its  manifestation  toward  children 
ensures  the  necessary  helps,  291. 

Lucretius,  on  labor,  87. 

Lyonnard,  Father,  excellent  teaching  on  suffering,  38. 

Man,  a  creature  of  circumstances,  97,  98;  his  need  of  a 
sustaining  force,  98;  The  Wise,  on  confidence,  98;  a 
strong,  described,  124;  study  alone  makes  the,  of 
science,  136;  what  the  educated,  knows,  249. 


INDEX.  365 

Marceau,  Commandant,  39,  159,  160,  162,  164,  201. 

Martial,  S.  J.,  Father,  197. 

Mary,  the  Mother  of  the  Afflicted,  56. 

Mary  de  Madici,  Queen,  206. 

Mascarenhas,  Dom  Pedro,  187. 

Masters  of  the  Situation,  Tilly's,  cited,  84,  89,  126. 

Maurus,  St.,  obedience  of,  203. 

Maxim,  an  excellent,  of  St.  Augustine,  50. 

McDonald,  George,  on  obedience,  171. 

Means,  for  overcoming  temptations  to  vanity,  149,  150. 

Men,  Apostolic,  their  great  risks  to  save  souls,  295;  young, 

of  ability,  needed  to-day,  88. 

Merchant,  view  of,  complaining  of  accumulating  wealth,  28. 
Meredith,  Owen,  on  humility,  102;  on  success,  209;  on  duty, 

286;  on  time,  290. 
Message,  a  timely,  of  the  poet,  147. 
Method  of  transforming  character,   68. 
Milton,  quoted,  18. 
Mind,  concentration  of,  122. 
Miracle,  the,  at  Lystra,  its  lesson,  108. 
Mirandola,  on  proficiency,  a  gift  of  God,  131. 
Missions,  the,  of  Oceanica,  39. 
Moore,  Hanah,  on  human  wishes,  179. 

Moses,  punished  for  want  of  confidence,  91;  receives  posi- 
tive instructions  about  his  ministry,  116;  love  for  his 

people,  153. 
Motive-power,  the,  of  missionaries,  21;  of  teachers,  29;~se- 

cret,  129. 
Motto,  its  meaning,  161;  of  St.  Ignatius,  of  St.  Theresa,  of 

St.  Mary  Magdalen  of  Pazzi,  of  the  Christian  teacher, 

162. 

N  atal,  Father,  on  desires,  188. 

Nathanael,  not  called  to  be  an  apostle,  why,  99. 

Natural  Law  and  Legal  Practice,  cited,  98. 

Nature,  of  child,  to  be  developed,  14;   crushed  by  sorrow, 

54;  human,  caprices  of,  61;  inclines  toward  praise,  192; 

the  wishes  of,  287. 
Negligence,  guilty,  of  young  teachers,  22. 


366  INDEX. 

Neighbor,  charity  for,  our  predilection  in,  232. 
Newman,  Cardinal,  "Lead,  Kindly  Light,"  337. 
Night  Thoughts,  quoted,  211. 
Nilus,  Abbot,  on  doing  God's  will,  218. 
Novelties,    presumption    of,    described,    273;     why    attrac- 
tive, 325. 

Obedience,  a  sure  guide  for  teacher,  115;  to  superiors,  171; 
what  it  ordains,  172;  the  proper  motive  of,  when  as- 
signed, 186;  consolations  of,  186. 

Objection,  the,  rightly  stated,  49;  springing  from  self-love, 
190. 

Observation  of  a  thinker,  125. 

Obstacles,  encountered  by  teachers,  41;  attention  to  the 
nature  of,  44. 

Obstinacy,  described,  273. 

Occupation,  no,  can  claim  immunity  from  accidents,  257. 

Odyssey,  the,  233. 

Opening  of  the  Holy  Door,  19. 

Operations,  mental,  limited,  120. 

Opinion,  but  a  fool,  149;  natural  to  man,  166;  concerning 
the  commission  of  faults  in  our  ministry,  296. 

Opinions,  on  necessary  knowledge,  133;  opposed  to  per- 
fection, when,  166;  differences  of,  exist,  306. 

Opportunities,  neglected,  350. 

Our  Lord,  teaching  concerning  children,  8;  His  conduct 
toward  Jarius,  110;  His  love  for  little  ones,  221;  the 
model  in  the  care  of  souls,  232;  on  taking  up  the  cross, 
272;  predicted  persecution  for  His  followers,  274; 
blesses  those  who  are  reviled,  280;  patient  conduct  to- 
ward the  Jews,  302;  toward  His  Apostles,  303;  the  re- 
ward to  those  who  practise  corporal  works,  317. 

paralipomenon,  quoted,  93. 

Parents,  not  blind  to  the  moral  defects  of  children,  3;  mo- 
tive of,  8;  aided  by  Christian  teacher,  50. 

Passions,  etymologically  considered,  2;  part  of  our  inherit- 
ance, 2;  movements  of,  2,  3;  voluntary,  2;  sway  the 
will,  5;  awakening  of,  3. 


INDEX.  367 

Perfect,  what  constitutes  the  most,  humanly  speaking,  300. 

Perfection,  how  to  attain,  288;  where  found,  300;  not  found 
in  human  nature,  300;  in  what  it  consists  in  different 
religious  orders,  317. 

Perseverance,  a  test  of  character,  325. 

Personal,  the,  element,  a  powerful  motive,  44. 

Peter,  the  poor,  teaching  the  poor  and  sick,  233. 

Petrarch,  studies  only  to  become  good,  131;  his  "Triumph 
of  Eternity,"  quoted,  345. 

Petronius,  dictum  of,  on  poverty,  228. 

Philip  of  Macedon,  60. 

Philosophy,  a  well-known  principle  of,  291. 

Pindar,  on  actions  done  without  God,  146. 

Pius  VI.,  Pope,  on  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori,  307. 

Plato,  on  the  greatest  evil  of  man,  1;  on  passions,  5;  on 
self-conquest,  5. 

Pleasures  of  Hope,  Campbell's,  cited,  97. 

Poor,  the,  our  predilection,  why  they  should  be,  232. 

Pope  Eugenius  III.,  and  St.  Bernard,  on  transformation,  73. 

Pope  Pius  V.,  on  Christian  education,  17. 

Pope  Pius  VIII.,  20. 

Poulette,  Father,  on  cold-hearted  pedagogues,  52;  counsel 
of,  46;  on  love  of  pupils,  53. 

Power,  of  communication,  essential  qualification,  133;  in- 
tercessory, of  children's  prayers,  223. 

Praise,  very  fickle,  149;  flatters  self-love,  149. 

Prayers,  of  innocent  childhood,  aid  us  to  obtain  grace,  292. 

Precipitation,  sad  consequences  of,  327. 

Presumption,  in  what  consists,  209. 

Pride,  assuming  mark  of  humility,  214. 

Principle,  of  primary  importance,  10;  of  success,  44;  a 
sound  pedagogic,  78;  guiding,  of  every  apostolic  man, 
150;  of  sound  government,  172;  of  paramount  import- 
ance, 230;  why  so  important,  231. 

Principles,  general,  applied,  16. 

Procrastination,  why  dangerous,  60. 

Proctor,  Adelaide,  on  love  of  God,  314. 

Projects,  make  no,  349. 


368  INDEX. 

Propertius,  on  confidence,  98. 

Providence,  dealing  of,  in  selecting  weak  instruments,  103. 

Psalmist,  the,  on  labors,  30;  on  trust  in  God,  291;  on  God's 
protection,  319. 

Psychology,  general,  knowledge  of,  necessary  to  teacher,  18. 

Punishment,  corporal,  is  precluded,  66. 

Pupils,  who  do  not  profit  by  instruction,  60;  are  only 
of  the  poorer  class,  an  objection,  225;  are  too  few,  an- 
other objection,  238;  why  turned  away  from  the  re- 
ligious life,  294;  instruction,  a  cause  of  many  distrac- 
tions, 296;  spiritual  advancement  of  our,  beneficial  to 
ourselves,  315. 

Qualifications,  essential,  of  a  good  teacher,  133. 
Qualities,  of  a  good  Christian  teacher,  127. 
Questions,  psychological,  58. 
Quintilian,  on  experience,  256. 
Quotation,  from  Julius  Caesar,  59. 

Reasons,  why  God  selects  the  weak  to  do  great  works,  100; 
providential,  for  differences  of  views,  306. 

Reading,  desultory,  makes  no  scholar,  121. 

Recompense,  the  promised,  55;  depends  on  purity  of  in- 
tention, 60. 

Reflection,  honest,  will  convince,  107. 

Religion,  seed  of,  sown  in  virginal  hearts,  348;  difference 
between  pious  practices  and,  349. 

Remedies,  to  apply,  2. 

Repressive  measure,  resorted  to,  66. 

Resemblance  to  Jesus  Christ,  how  attained,  79. 

Resignation,  under  adverse  circumstances,  32;  necessary 
to  obtain  freedom  of  heart,  235. 

Result,  sad,  due  to  an  atheistical  training,  64. 

Results,  uncertain,  of  teaching,  58;  impotent,  when  left 
to  ourselves,  105;  of  a  teacher  who  inspires  love  of 
excellence,  127;  of  one  acquainted  with  few  books, 
132;  possible,  of  a  brilliant  intellect,  142. 

Revelation,  a,  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  75. 

Reynolds,  Sir  Joshua,  on  hardships  in  the  art  of  paint- 
ing, 86. 


INDEX.  369 

Richard  of  St.  Victor,  on  human  wisdom,  131. 

Rodriguez,  S.  J.,  Alphonsus,  on  confidence  in  God,  90;  on 
trust  in  God,  98;  on  conformity  to  God's  will,  137;  on 
lowly  positions,  214;  another  means  to  attain  higher 
perfection,  219;  on  charity,  240;  on  the  spiritual  view 
of  health,  263;  on  teaching  and  numerous  faults,  315; 
our  salvation  is  more  secure  in  our  present  voca- 
tion, 315. 

Rodriguez,  S.  J.,  Simon,  187. 

Rosetti,  Christina,  on  God's  providence,  325. 

Rosminl,  228. 

Rusbrocius,  on  the  cause  of  our  sadness,  286. 

Sacrifice,  through  obedience,  the  holiest  projects,  184. 

Sadness,  its  destructiveness,  328. 

Saint-Jure,  S.  J.,  Father,  on  ungrateful  men,  247;  on  grati- 
tude, 247;  nature  refers  its  affections  to  self-gratifica- 
tion, 287;  on  the  actions  of  the  spiritual  life,  287;  no 
man  perfect,  301. 

Saints,  the,  and  the  distribution  of  natural  gifts,  how 
viewed,  143. 

Salvation,  the  attainment  of,  requires  not  so  much  labor, 
an  objection,  337;  recompense  of  those  who  labor  for 
their  neighbor's,  342;  of  souls  desired  by  God,  291. 

Saul,  sacrifices  of,  not  acceptable,  144. 

Science,  moral  and  physical,  no  common  data  for,  58. 

Scripture,  Holy,  on  the  zebra  of  the  desert,  13;  on  evil 
germs,  1;  on  evil  germs,  a  universal  law,  1;  on  finding 
rest,  6;  on  little  children,  253;  on  life,  258;  on  perse- 
cution, 272. 

Self-love,  to  what  it  inclines  us,  166;  averse  to  the  truth, 
167;  an  objection  springing  from,  190;  consequences  of, 
210;  is  ingenious,  238. 

Self-seeking,  how  to  avoid,  160. 

Segneri,  Father,  words  of  encouragement  to  a  young  teacher 
who  is  apt  to  become  disheartened  by  the  faults  of  hu- 
man frailty,  318. 

S6gur,  Mgr.  de,  19. 
24 


370  INDEX. 

Seneca,  on  command  of  self,  5;  on  charms,  98;  on  praise, 
148;  on  doing  a  kindness,  229;  on  ingratitude,  246;  on 
the  pleasure  of  doing,  248;  on  pleasing  man,  270;  on 
how  to  live  and  to  converse,  313. 

Sentences,  some  pregnant,  on  doing  actions  for  praise,  153. 

Serving  God,  a  gratuitous  gift,  103. 

Shakespeare,  on  frailty,  13;  on  useless  lamenting,  26;  on 
the  working-day  world,  28;  Twelfth  Night,  quoted,  50; 
Julius  Caesar  and  Hamlet,  quoted,  59;  on  opinion,  49, 
192;  on  ambition,  212;  on  dangerous  conceits,  229;  on 
being  ungrateful,  249;  on  infirmity,  257;  on  the  im- 
possibility to  escape  calumny,  275;  on  cause  of  defect, 
288;  on  being  true  to  self,  293;  on  a  man  free  from  pas- 
sion, 300. 

Sins,  the  spiritual  man  and,  33;  our  own,  54. 

Sismondi,  on  suffering,  271. 

Society,  regenerated  through  children,  127. 

Socrates,  on  teaching  those  we  love,  XV. 

Solomon,  on  the  patient  man,  5;  on  confidence,  98. 

Somerville,  gives  youth  a  joyous  welcome,  292. 

Sophocles,  on  a  prudent  man,  83. 

Sorrows  of  Christ  enumerated,  42. 

Soul,  the  saving  of  a  single,  60. 

Souls,  only  to  be  considered,  230;  value  of,  230,  231;  a  prin- 
ciple of  primary  importance  in  the  care  of,  231;  God  de- 
sires the  salvation  of,  291. 

Sources,  of  defects  and  vices,  2. 

Spalding,  Bishop,  XV;  on  patience,  9;  on  the  law  of  work, 
118;  on  how  to  think,  122;  on  the  end  of  man,  124; 
on  the  teacher,  118;  the  influence  on  the  heart,  123; 
on  enthusiasm,  126;  on  the  kind  of  teachers  needed, 
129;  on  vanity,  191,  350;  defines  education,  345;  on 
the  business  of  education,  346;  on  the  aim  of  education, 
346,  351;  on  the  power  of  education,  346;  defines 
moral  education,  346;  on  a  grave  defect  in  the  school, 
347;  concerning  knowledge  or  belief  becoming  fixed 
in  dogma,  347;  the  end  of  education,  347;  on  the  edu- 
cator's goal,  347;  what  is  requisite  to  educate,  347; 


INDEX.  371 

what  the  teacher  should  be,  348;  what  the  young 
should  be  taught,  348;  what  the  teacher  should  cul- 
tivate, 348;  moral  value  of  intellectual  culture,  348; 
on  the  meaning  of  duty,  348;  concerning  the  seed  of 
religion,  348;  on  the  difference  between  pious  practices 
and  religion,  349;  about  higher  motives  and  the  teach- 
er's obligation,  349;  what  the  educated  man  knows,  349; 
the  will  of  the  young  should  be  guided,  349;  on  neg- 
lected opportunities,  350;  on  happiness,  350;  in  what 
consists  the  educator's  fundamental  principle,  350;  on 
mind,  350;  on  failure  and  success,  350;  on  life  not 
without  avail,  350 ;  on  the  cause  of  the  teacher's  failure, 
351;  on  the  intellect's  share  in  the  formation  of  char- 
acter, 351;  who  is  the  greatest  saint  and  the  greatest 
teacher,  351;  the  child's  ignorance  and  helplessness 
appeal  to  the  teacher,  352;  the  failure  in  our  youth, 
352;  example  as  a  teacher,  353;  obligation  of  teachers 
and  ministers  of  God  toward  youth,  353;  about  approval 
of  men,  353;  what  it  is  to  be  heroic,  353. 

Speculations,  concerning  results  in  teaching,  vain,  80. 

Spirit  of  Faith,  our  difficulties  viewed  by  the,  32;  the  most 
essential  quality  is  the,  128. 

Spirit,  the  human,  a  destructive  element,  314;  its  sad  con- 
sequences, 314;  marks  of,  315;  effective  work  of,  315. 

Spirit,  the  worldly,  dangerous  to  our  vocation,  340. 

Spirit  and  Virtues  of  St.  J.-B.  de  la  Salle,  cited,  282. 

St.  Alphonsus  Liguori,  307;  advice  to  young  members  of 
his  congregation  about  vocation,  341. 

St.  Ambrose,  how  mothers  regard  their  children,  2;  quoted, 
231. 

St.  Anselm,  on  true  wisdom,  130;  on  future  rewards,  146; 
on  study,  146;  on  man's  wishes,  168. 

St.  Augustine,  on  evil  germs,  3;  on  the  good  and  the 
wicked,  26;  a  familiar  maxim  of,  50;  reason  for  se- 
lecting weak  instruments,  99;  on  studying  true  wis- 
dom, 130;  on  love,  130;  on  avarice,  140;  on  David's  re- 
quest for  a  good  heart,  141;  on  intention,  190;  on 
God's  will,  218;  on  the  servants  and  the  marriage  feast, 


372  INDEX. 

240;  on  the  dangers  incurred  in  serving  our  neighbor, 
320;  on  love  in  repose,  334;  on  the  recompense  of  those 
who  labor  for  the  salvation  of  others,  342. 

St.  Basil,  on  vainglory,  194. 

St.  Benedict,  203. 

St.  Bernard,  on  the  cross,  41;  a  letter  to  Pope  Eugenius 
III.,  73;  on  transformation  of  morals,  73;  the  applica- 
tion of  the  letter  to  teachers,  75;  on  hope,  109;  on  God's 
liberality,  113;  on  reading,  130;  on  secular  science,  131; 
on  self-love,  168;  on  the  intention,  190;  on  our  dealings 
with  others,  230;  the  beauty  of  soul  should  attract  us, 
230;  on  taking  up  arms  against  ourselves,  286;  on  char- 
ity animated  by  zeal,  334;  to  prevent  sin,  335. 

St.  Bridget,  revelation  of,  75,  226. 

St.  Canisius,  S.  J.,  an  example  of  humility,  154;  of  obedi- 
ence, 174. 

St.  Catherine  of  Vienna,  her  veneration  for  clergy,  336. 

St.  Cyprian,  on  hope,  109,  111;  Christ's  conduct  toward  the 
Jews,  302. 

St.  Denis,  on  the  most  divine  thing,  333. 

St.  Dominic,  37,  198. 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  his  humility,  101,  198. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales,  on  the  prayer  of  St.  Stephen,  26;  on 
undertakings,  76;  on  confidence  in  God,  96;  an  apos- 
tolic man,  151;  love  for  preaching,  151;  his  texts  for 
sermons,  153;  on  holding  opinions  and  judgments,  168; 
on  self-love,  169;  on  superiors  holding  opinions,  170; 
on  positions  assigned  by  obedience,  173;  on  trust  in 
Providence,  170;  consequences  of  self-love,  210;  his 
great  love  for  children,  215;  missions  in  Chablais,  their 
result,  243;  his  love  for  his  first  teacher,  Father  Deage, 
254;  a  model  in  suffering  calumny,  279;  his  excellent 
motto  on  charity,  289. 

St.  Francis  Xavier,  37;  heroic  saying  of,  43;  on  hope  in 
God,  95,  96;  a  model  of  perfect  obedience,  186;  Apostle 
of  the  Indies,  187;  his  contentment  in  serving  God, 
204;  his  ardent  desire  for  souls,  335. 


INDEX.  373 

St.  Gregory,  on  regulating  passions,  6;  on  David  as  a 
figure  of  Christ,  100;  on  knowledge,  130;  on  preaching, 
242;  love  of  God,  never  idle,  333;  on  zeal  for  souls,  334. 

St.  Gregory,  Pope,  teaching  the  liturgical  chant,  293. 

St.  Ignatius,  on  preventing  one  mortal  sin,  14;  on  the  spirit- 
ual life,  40;  a  celebrated  saying  of,  71;  on  hope  in  God, 
95;  on  self-abnegation,  161;  on  obedience  and  pru- 
dence, 175,  187;  quoted,  198;  spiritual  view  of  health, 
263;  willing  to  risk  salvation  to  gain  souls  to  Christ, 
321;  desires  all  hearts  to  love  God,  335. 

St.  Ignatius  of  Antioch,  a  noble  example  of  enduring  trials 
and  persecution,  277. 

St.  James,  the  Apostle,  offers  examples  of  suffering,  55; 
on  enduring  temptation,  307. 

St.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal,  on  fruitless  labors,  24;  quoted, 
181,  206,  280;  on  duty  tranquilly  done,  25. 

St.  Jerome,  his  love  for  teaching  piety,  293. 

St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle,  advice  to  teachers,  XVII;  an 
admonition,  11;  on  child-nature,  15;  the  heroic  patience 
of,  54,  56;  on  confidence  in  God,  96;  a  wise  counsel  of, 
136;  love  for  the  poor,  228;  on  the  practice  of  poverty, 
228;  on  suffering  insults  and  contempt,  a  model  to  be 
followed,  282. 

St.  John  Berchmans,  S.  J.,  an  example  to  emulate,  128. 

St.  John  Climachus,  gives  cure  for  vainglory,  195. 

St.  John  of  the  Cross,  on  reward  for  labor,  207,  307. 

St.  John  Chryostom,  on  maceration  of  the  body,  334;  on  sav- 
ing one  soul,  334. 

St.  John  the  Evangelist,  traces  our  defects,  2;  on  fruitful- 
ness,  136. 

St.  Luke,  on  humble  opinion  of  self,  107. 

St.  Martin,  prayer  of,  on  his  deathbed,  263. 

St.  Mary  Magdalene  de  Pazzi,  ardent  desire  for  souls,  207. 

St.  Matthew,  on  God's  power,  75;  account  of  the  centurion's 
faith,  111;  on  work  done  for  God,  248;  on  being  solici- 
tous for  temporal  things,  258. 

St.  Patrick,  Apostle  of  Ireland,  love  for  the  destitute,  228. 

St.  Paul,  on  suffering,  25,  33,  40,  42;  glories  in  his  trials, 
30,  43,  57;  on  avoiding  self-seeking,  31;  on  confidence 


374  INDEX. 

in  God,  98;  on  transformation,  68;  on  reward  of  la- 
bor, 74;  on  seeking  God's  glory  alone,  150;  on  suc- 
cess, 88;  on  the  selection  of  feeble  instruments  to  do 
great  works,  100;  on  co-operation  with  God,  106;  re- 
markable words  of,  after  working  a  miracle,  108;  on 
vain  knowledge,  136,  137;  on  the  root  of  all  evil,  141; 
on  the  distribution  of  spiritual  goods,  141;  on  distribu- 
tion of  offices,  142;  his  heroic  charity,  153;  on  gifts  re- 
ceived, 193;  on  presumption,  211;  on  the  poverty  of 
Christ,  232;  on  trials  and  tribulations,  272;  on  strifes, 
275;  an  example  of  suffering  trials,  277;  how  to  become 
perfect,  288;  on  trust  in  God,  291;  on  the  qualities  of 
charity,  300;  what  to  do  when  a  man  is  overtaken  in 
any  fault,  300;  on  the  defects  of  others,  301;  on  bearing 
with  others,  302;  on  true  liberty,  307;  urges  Timothy  to 
be  earnest  in  work,  324;  was  never  weary,  331. 

St.  Peter,  on  suffering,  43;  an  example  of  true  humility, 
104;  remarkable  words  after  performing  a  miracle,  108; 
his  want  of  faith  and  its  consequences,  111;  on  trust 
in  God,  258;  on  reproaches,  272;  on  charity,  306;  on 
labor,  324. 

St.  Peter  Chrysologus,  compares  pastors  of  souls  to  the 
king's  nurses,  317. 

St.  Peter  Claver,  S.  J.,  his  labor  rewarded,  81. 

St.  Peter  Gonzales,  his  great  love  for  the  poor,  227. 

St.  Stephen,  the  proto-martyr,  55. 

St.  Theresa,  heroic  request  of,  56;  on  confidence,  95;  opinion 
about  labor  for  souls,  335. 

St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  on  human  study,  126;  on  the  study  of 
wisdom,  130;  on  the  object  of  obedience,  171;  on  the 
vices  of  vanity,  273. 

St.  Vincent  Ferrer,  37. 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  on  afflictions,  38;  on  confidence,  96, 
228;  quoted,  207;  on  being  solicitous  about  health,  258; 
on  sensuality,  259. 

Study,  of  human  nature,  2;  of  dispositions,  2;  of  dispo- 
sitions, not  speculative,  2;  method  of,  121;  must  not 
chill  the  heart,  122. 


INDEX.  375 

Success,  the  true  secret  of,  44;  impossible,  an  objection, 
84;  commensurate  with  efforts,  87;  perfect,  how  in- 
creased, 88;  should  be  attributed  to  God,  102;  attributed 
to  purity  of  intention  rather  than  to  natural  talents, 
128. 

Sufferings,  advantages  of,  23;  a  means  of  satisfying  God's 
justice,  33;  of  Jesus  Christ,  33,  34;  how  to  receive,  35; 
essential  to  do  good,  37;  of  the  early  Christians,  42; 
a  grace  of  predilection,  281. 

Supposition,  a,  made  concerning  our  labor  in  class,  72. 

Superiors,  on  the  function  of,  170;  obtain  special  lights 
and  graces,  170;  authority  of,  171;  are  better  capable 
of  judging,  172;  action  of,  must  not  be  obstructed,  176; 
are  men  of  experience,  211;  the  command  of,  God's  will, 
217. 

Surin,  Father,  gives  reasons  why  some  complain,  157;  on 
renunciation  of  selfish  interests,  160;  means  to  obtain 
indifference  as  to  employment,  179;  on  tranquillity  of 
mind,  182;  on  contentment  in  God's  service,  205. 

Susso,  Henry,  on  submission  to  God's  will,  168. 

Sydney  Smith,  on  hesitation,  125. 

Syrus,  Publius,  on  silence,  331. 

Tacitus,  on  cowards,  85. 

Task,  the,  by  Cowper,  quoted,  108. 

Teacher,  the  Christian,  experience  of,  3;  actuated  by  zeal, 
3;  when  assuming  charge  of  a  class,  13;  how  to  be- 
come master  of  the  situation,  18;  danger  of  the  guilty 
negligence  of,  22;  numberless  works  performed  by,  26; 
a  strong  conviction  of,  40;  Christ's  ransom  and,  42; 
the  Apostles  and,  43;  God  bestows  special  favors 
upon  the  faithful,  51;  is  content  to  save  one  soul,  60; 
the  caprices  of  human  nature  and,  61;  should  teach 
the  children  to  conquer  self,  67;  guided  by  an  enlight- 
ened zeal,  77;  Jesus  Christ,  the  model  for,  78;  a  fatal 
error  of,  86;  obstacles  and  difficulties  should  encourage, 
not  discourage,  87;  should  be  a  man  of  courage,  89; 
his  confidence  in  God,  97;  reason  for  confiding  in  God, 
115;  is  amply  endowed  for  his  calling,  116;  should  be  a 


376  INDEX. 

man  of  strong  character,  118;  requirements  of,  119; 
must  needs  be  a  student,  119,  121;  seeks  no  exemption 
from  study,  119;  need  not  be  a  genius,  120;  should 
not  allow  study  to  chill  his  heart,  122;  power  of,  123; 
possesses  a  powerful  weapon  when  full  of  the  spirit 
of  God,  124;  is  a  moral  power,  124;  should  guard 
against  hesitancy,  125;  means  to  become  successful, 
125;  makes  the  school,  126;  the  business  of,  127;  the 
ideal  presented  not  impossible  to  attain,  128;  the 
secret  motive-power  of,  129;  what  constitutes  the  per- 
fect, 129;  the  kind  of,  needed  to-day,  129;  his  absolute 
need  of  knowledge,  133;  considers  future,  not  present, 
rewards,  146;  seeks  not  worthless  praise,  147;  looks  to 
God,  not  to  man,  148;  genuine  characteristics  of,  149; 
position  no  consequence  to,  154;  the  motto  of,  162; 
labors  are  not  appreciated,  an  objection,  190;  reasons 
why  discouraged,  190;  not  deceived  by  false  praise, 
192;  allows  his  work  to  speak,  192;  foolishness  to  be 
influenced  by  false  praise,  192;  Christ's  warning  against 
the  praises  of  men,  194;  Christ,  the  Model,  for,  195; 
animated  by  the  spirit  of  faith,  seeks  not  praise,  196; 
should  sacrifice  honor,  201;  the  cross  and,  204;  false 
ambition  of,  209;  conduct  unworthy  of,  211;  not  in- 
fluenced by  human  judgments  and  glory,  210;  the  true 
ambition  of,  210;  moral  excellency  should  predominate 
in,  211;  reasons  why  kept  in  the  lower  grades,  212; 
an  error  of  young,  212;  sad  consequences  of  the  in- 
efficiency of,  213;  lowly  functions,  the  sentiments  of, 
215;  how  the  principles  of  Christian  perfection  are  vio- 
lated by,  218;  guidance  of  Providence  and,  219;  no  right 
to  choose  our  functions,  219;  the  primary  class  and  the, 
221,  222;  animated  by  faith,  the  ministry  of,  a  source 
of  many  graces,  222;  the  Apostleship  of  Prayer  and, 
223;  the  First  Beatitude  and,  227;  should  love  the  poor, 
228;  the  nobility  of  the  ministry  of,  229;  his  mission  to 
the  poor,  229;  actuated  by  the  motive  of  God  and  guided 
by  the  spirit  of  faith,  238;  does  not  create  conditions, 
238;  the  husbandman  compared  to,  238,  239;  the  small 


INDEX.  377 

number  of  pupils  the  opportunity  for,  to  do  more  ef- 
fective good,  239;  a  reason  for  the  small  number  of 
pupils,  239;  the  account  of  the  stewardship  of,  241;  the 
aim  of,  242;  no  reason  to  be  discouraged,  242;  how  in- 
gratitude is  viewed  by,  246;  does  not  murmur  because 
children  are  ungrateful,  248;  what  is  to  be  done  when 
annoyed  by  the  ingratitude  of  men,  249;  the  example 
Christ  and  the  Apostles  when  children  are  ungrate- 
ful, 249;  the  true  motto  of,  249;  who  loves  pupils 
commands  their  gratitude,  252;  Gerson  as  an  example 
to,  253;  Crasset's  encouraging  words  to,  254;  that  teach- 
ing endangers  health,  what  the  objection  implies,  257; 
restless  activity  of,  its  bad  effect,  the  remedy,  261; 
lives  no  longer  for  himself,  but  belongs  to  his  congre- 
gation, 262;  allows  himself  to  be  guided  by  superiors, 
2G2;  holy  indifference  concerning  health  and  employ- 
ment, 263;  should  be  ready  to  exclaim  with  Epictetus, 
263;  should  hold  St.  Ignatius'  view  about  health,  263; 
the  heroic  conduct  of  St.  Louis  Bertrand,  a  lesson  for, 
270;  calumny,  persecution,  disagreements  expose,  271; 
if  not  actuated  by  true  principles,  will  shun  trials, 
273;  desires  to  live  conformably  to  his  ministry,  288; 
means  to  attain  perfection,  288;  should  adopt  St.  Fran- 
cis de  Sales'  motto,  289;  to  instruct  youth,  what  is 
demanded  of,  289;  God  never  refuses  His  graces  to, 
290;  to  save  souls,  an  obligation  of,  291;  must  merit 
God's  aid,  291;  that  teaching  is  distasteful,  no  reason 
for  discouragement,  292;  can  merit  God's  help,  292;  pu- 
pils are  not  savages,  295;  examination  of  conduct  to- 
ward pupils,  295;  prayer  that  should  be  said  by,  296; 
is  the  visible  Guardian  Angel  of  his  pupils,  297;  duty 
to  bear  with  the  defects  of  others,  301;  example  of  God 
in  bearing  with  the  imperfections  of  man,  the  mode 
of,  302;  conduct  toward  our  fellow-religious,  303;  how 
to  lessen  friction,  304;  excellent  counsels  of  Father 
Judde  to,  309;  refined  manners  necessary  to,  311;  dif- 
ferent temperaments  of,  312;  the  human  spirit  and, 
315;  teaching  the  principal  means  of  the  sanctiflca- 


373  INDEX. 

tion  of,  317;  God  asks  not  impossibilities,  319;  great 
error  of,  concerning  vocation,  320;  the  whole  soul  must 
enter  into  the  work,  323;  when  admitting  that  teach- 
ing ceases  to  give  pleasure,  is  to  declare  the  incon- 
stancy and  fickleness  of,  326;  spiritual  idleness  one  of 
the  chief  vices  of,  326;  how  to  look  upon  duty,  327; 
what  should  be  done  when  sad,  328;  why  the  ministry  is 
hard  and  wearisome  to,  329;  loss  of  time,  a  dangerous 
rock  to,  330;  no  reason  to  become  despondent  on  ac- 
count of  weariness  in  teaching,  a  remedy,  331;  cause  of 
growing  weary  of  vocation,  340;  the  worldly  spirit  and, 
340;  what  steps  to  take  when  in  doubt  about  vocation, 
341;  the  salvation  of  pupils  partially  dependent 
on,  perservering  in  his  vocation,  341;  St.  Vin- 
cent de  Paul  concerning  the  salvation  of  those 
entrusted  to,  342;  the  worth  of,  347;  qualities  of, 
348;  habits  to  be  cultivated  by,  348;  what  ought  to  be 
done  to  set  higher  motives  to  work,  349;  should  look 
for  the  cause  of  failure  in  himself,  351;  how  to  study 
and  treat  each  pupil,  351;  the  appointed  work  of,  351; 
concerning  the  thoughts  and  sentiments  of  others,  353; 
who  complain  of  lack  of  appreciation,  353;  about  the 
praise  or  condemnation  of  others,  353;  when  heroic,  353. 

Terence,  on  self-seeking,  149;  on  wishes,  189;  on  praise, 
192;  on  how  we  should  labor,  324. 

Thomas  a  Kempis,  on  self-seekers,  6;  words  of  encourage- 
ment, 27;  on  suffering,  43;  on  love,  47;  on  bearing 
others'  defects,  77;  on  failure,  83;  on  dhanging  moods, 
97;  on  humility,  117;  on  knowledge,  132;  on  having  a 
lowly  opinion,  143;  on  temporal  things,  151;  on  re- 
joicing in  adversity,  158;  on  fervent  amendment,  164; 
on  obedience,  174;  on  renunciation,  185;  on  subjection, 
189;  on  the  love  of  Jesus  above  all  things,- 195;  humble 
sentiments  of  one's  self,  196;  on  interior  conversation, 
204,  276;  on  thoughts  of  death,  205;  on  contempt  of  all 
glory  and  honor,  208;  should  walk  in  truth  and  hu- 
mility, 224;  on  the  obtaining  of  freedom  of  heart, 
235;  on  doctrine  of  truth,  245;  the  example  of  Christ 


INDEX.  379 

in  bearing  misery,  249;  on  the  love  of  Jesus,  256; 
on  the  advantage  of  adversity,  270;  on  adversity,  281; 
on  rash  judgments,  285;  on  the  motives  of  nature,  287; 
no  one  secure  from  temptation,  299;  on  bearing  the 
defects  of  others,  304,  305;  on  our  unworthiness  in 
God's  sight,  324;  on  superfluity  of  words,  335;  on  true 
happiness,  337;  on  learning  patience,  343. 

Thoughts,  helpful  in  trials,  54;  banish  all  discouraging,  89. 

Tilley,  on  influence  of  habit,  84;  on  discouragement,  89; 
on  failure,  126. 

Timon  of  Athens,  quoted,  192. 

Time,  indifference  to  the  use  of,  a  consequence  of  castle- 
building,  329;  loss  of,  an  irreparable  fault,  330. 

Tintern  Abbey,  quoted,  148. 

Tonga,  a  follower  of  Marceau,  39. 

Tranquillity,  secret  of  preserving,  182;  how  to  obtain,  183. 

Transformation,  character,  means  to  be  adopted  for,  69. 

Treatise  on  Education,  quoted,  67. 

Trials,  of  teachers,  contrasted  with  other  professions,  29; 
of  missionaries,  enumerated,  28;  of  superiors,  30. 

Trismegistus,  excellent  counsel  to  his  son,  286. 

Truth,  a,  the  Christian  teacher  should  know,  51,  52. 

Truths,  the  eternal,  contemplation  of,  a  cure  for  vainglory, 

196. 
•f 

JJllathorne,  Bishop,  on  judgment,  169;  on  superiors,  170; 
authority  of  superiors,  170;  on  a  life  of  obedience,  171; 
we  should  not  anticipate  the  order  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence, 173;  on  vainglory,  190;  on  vanity,  its  object,  191; 
how  vanity  is  known,  193;  on  sensitiveness  of  vanity, 
209;  on  the  magnanimous  character  of  humility,  210; 
the  consequences  if  the  basis  of  humility  fail,  271;  on 
bearing  vexation  and  calamity,  274. 

Undertakings,  the  beginning  of,  important,  221. 

Ungrateful  parents  and  children,  an  objection,  246. 

University,  a  God-appointed,  127;  of  Paris,  224,  227,  252;  of 
Sorbonne,  227. 


380  INDEX. 


,  Father,  on  superiors  who  govern,  177. 
Vainglory,  in  what  consists,  191;  St.  Basil  on,  194;  effect  of, 

273. 
Vanity,  a  daughter  of  pride,  190;   pusillanimity  of  charac- 

ter an  offshoot  of,  192;  how  detested,  192,  193;  is  incon- 

sistent with  sound  judgment,  193;  sensitiveness  of,  209; 

promptings  of,  211. 
Vanini,  quoted,  102. 
Vauvenargues,  Marquis   de,  on  inculpable  ignorance,  120; 

on  the  influence  of  the  heart,  123. 
Venial  sins,  painful  to  the  spiritual  man,  33. 
Vianney,  Cure  d'Ars,  accomplishes  much  good,  136;  on  self- 

denial,  202;  on  the  cross,  203;  on  our  own  will,  202. 
Vices,  budding,  13;  resulting  from  vanity,  273. 
Vigilance,  careful,  recommended,  67. 
Vocation,  loss  of,  the  cause  of,  XVI;  teaching  of  theologians 

concerning,  289;   our  own,  due  to  good  example,  244; 

everyone  has  a  special,  338. 

Waller,  on  dispute,  261. 

Weariness,   found   in  all   vocations,   is   general,   331. 

Wentworth  Dillon,  man  still  has  faults,  1. 

Whittier,  on  peaceful  zeal,  81. 

Will,  our  own,  all  we  have,  202. 

Wisdom,  rational  to  follow  Supreme,  31;   Divine  and  hu- 

man, 198;  difference  between  Divine  and  human,  199. 
Word  of  God,  a  two-edged  sword,  its  application,  316. 
Wordsworth,  on  lasting  fame,  148. 
Worldlings,  seek  success  by  human  means,  93. 
Worry,  why  we,  353. 
Worth,  great,  enhanced,  154;  true,  353. 
Writ,  Holy,  on  the  wages  to  the  just,  74. 

Young,  quoted,  58,  167;  on  love  of  praise,  145;  on  talents 

angel-bright,  211. 

Youth,  the  proper  time  for  correction,  4. 
Youthful,  degeneracy,  gives  a  baneful  impression,  13;   de- 

pravity, a  motive  of  zeal,  4. 


INDEX.  381 

Zeal,  courageous  and  persevering,  effects  transformation, 
66;  Christian  teacher  characterized  by  ardent,  72;  per- 
severing, crowned  with  success,  81;  purity  of,  242;  true, 
not  disconcerted,  243;  impetuous,  its  effect  on  health, 
260;  which  does  not  prompt  our  neighbor's  correc- 
tion, 305;  thoughts  to  inspire,  333. 

Zealous,  the  truly,  loses  not  his  peace  of  mind  on  account 
of  calumny,  279. 

Zebra,  the,  of  the  desert,  13. 


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